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14 August 2009
Magazine audience levels show signs of stabilising in the latest period results, with total readership* holding, just 0.3 per cent off the March 2009 level, and gross annual circulation** 2.6 per cent off the December 2008 level.
Average issue readership across surveyed titles totalled 40 million, while magazine copy sales for the year to June 2009 reached 202 million units.
Segments performing better than the market average period-on-period include:
- Women’s Lifestyle, readership up 4.1 per cent and total net paid sales 1.6 per cent higher
- Fashion, up 0.9 per cent in readership and 1.7 per cent in circulation
- Men’s Lifestyle, up 13.2 per cent in readership and 7.3 per cent in circulation
- Teen, up 4.0 per cent in readership and 1.8 per cent in circulation
- Home and Lifestyle, marginal declines of 0.5 and 0.2 per cent respectively
In the high-volume weekly magazine segment, total readership dipped 2.2 per cent for the period, with ‘real life’ titles That’s Life! and Take 5 both trending positively, rising 2.1 and 0.7 per cent respectively on last quarter. Famous also grew 3.4 per cent for the same period. Average net paid sales across the segment totalled 1.82 million copies, down 1.3 per cent for the period, the risers being Famous, Grazia and Woman’s Day.
MPA chairman, Mr Nick Chan, said, “There are many positive indicators for magazines in these latest results. Readership is trending firmer overall as consumers continue to turn to magazines to stay connected to their interests. Circulations are being challenged by tough economic conditions, but positive period-end performances by many titles prove the resilience of the category at the newsstand and the medium’s success in servicing the needs of readers.”
* Based on analysis of Roy Morgan Readership Survey, Jun 2009 vs Mar 2009
** Based on analysis of audited titles, ABC Audits, Jun 2009 vs Dec 2008
Sources: Roy Morgan Single Source Australia, Jul 2008 – Jun 2009; ABC Audit, Jan-Jun 2009 (non weeklies) & April-Jun 2009 (weeklies)