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Media Release
15 May 2009
Australians are holding close to their favoured titles to a greater degree than the prevailing economic conditions and flagging consumer sentiment may predict.
Total ABC Net Paid Sales for the 16 weekly magazines included in the January to March 2009 quarter nudged 0.1 percent higher over the previous quarter, to 2.47 million copies. The quarterly performance augurs well for the weekly category following a tough year which saw total sales dipping 5.1 percent.
Gross retail value of weekly magazine sales for the quarter also rose marginally, up 1.4 percent on the previous quarter to $120 million.
In the high-circulation women’s weekly segment, total average weekly sales were flat compared to the previous quarter at 1.8 million copies, a resilient result given the sluggish retail environment and increasing proliferation of entertainment and celebrity news platforms.
Gross Roy Morgan readership numbers for all consumer magazines dipped just 3.4 percent during the 12 months ending March 2009*, to just over 40 million.
Food, Business and Motoring segments all trended higher over the period, up 12.4 percent, 7.2 percent and 12.7 percent respectively year on year, reflecting a shift in interests toward more practical advice, home meal preparation and the economy. The Home Lifestyle segment consolidated with a slight dip in total gross readership of 2.4 percent after several periods of readership growth, however Better Homes and Gardens, Australian Handyman, Belle and Vogue Living all posted readership gains.
New titles Top Gear, Grazia, Women’s Health** and Good Food contributed to the overall performance of the magazine category, demonstrating the positive consumer response to investment in renewal and evolution in the medium.
Nick Chan, CEO Pacific Magazines and MPA chairman said “While the current environment is undoubtedly challenging, the relatively solid performance during economic downturn reflects the enduring attraction magazines hold for those seeking the best edit of entertainment, information and inspiration.
“More importantly, if you look at these current results against the performance of magazines over a 10 year period, then magazines are still delivering gross readerships better than the levels seen 8 to 9 years ago.”
*Excluding NIMs. Readers Aged 14+ * *First 12 month readership audit.