Mags: The Hits Just Keep On Coming

In Touch Weekly magazineMagazines have plenty of issues nowadays--just the wrong kind. The Audit Bureau of Circulations added to their woes Monday with the release of its most recent report, covering the six-month period from January-June 2008, showing circulation falling sharply at a number of big titles, compared to the same period last year. Worse still, the news comes as ad pages are also declining steeply at many titles, according to the Publishers Information Bureau. The results are summarized in a chart below.

Per the ABC figures, several broad categories are seeing both circulation and ad pages drops--including newsweeklies, women's lifestyle and fashion, shelter and business titles. In each category, of course, there are exceptions. Holding up somewhat better were cooking and epicurean and men's lifestyle titles, while celebrity titles were distinctly mixed. Overall, however, the ABC and PIB figures will not have many champagne corks popping in publishers' executive suites.

advertisement

advertisement

On average, newsweeklies saw circulation fall 2.8% and ad pages 17.5%, with much steeper drops at some individual titles. At women's fashion and beauty titles, circulation tumbled an average 10.6%, while ad pages were basically flat with an average 2% drop.

Women's lifestyle mags experienced an average circulation drop of 11.5%, as mag pages fell 8.5% on average. A broad group of shelter and domestic titles--including magazines devoted to regional domestic style and living--saw average circ fall 7.2%, as average ad pages slipped 5%.

Business titles also took heavy hits in the first half of the year, with circulation down about 6.5% on average, and ad pages down 8.5%

The three remaining categories were mixed. Circ at celebrity titles was down an average 4.2%; however, average ad pages rose a little over 3% on the strength of a few titles.

Men's lifestyle and fitness titles were down slightly in circulation, with an average drop of 2%, but remained nearly flat in terms of ad pages. Cooking and epicurean titles saw average circulation rise about 2.3%, while ad pages remained flat on average, with a small decline of 0.9%.

Category/Title

Newsstand, Jan-Jun (ABC)

% change, 2007-2008

Ad pages, Jan-Jun (PIB) 999

% change, 2007-2008

Newsweeklies

Time

95,950

-7%

798.42

-21.1%

Newsweek

82,756

-17.00%

687.99

-22.4%

U.S. News & World Report

38,488

2.90%

542.88

-30.3%

The Economist

66,888

9.90%

1245.47

3.7%

Women's Beauty & Fashion

Allure

228,667

-9.60%

741.69

-5.8%

Elle

332,167

-6.30%

1,170.57

6.4%

Glamour

685,663

-9.20%

860.2

-8.20%

Harper's Bazaar

167,291

-8.30%

890.22

9.40%

InStyle

783,254

4.00%

1,356.17

-9.60%

Life & Style Weekly

519,388

-30.20%

309.12

-3.90%

Lucky

237,750

-5%

722.22

-12.20%

Vogue

385,500

-14.80%

1328.13

0.40%

Teen Vogue

201,200

-15.70%

517.81

4.50%

Bridal

Bridal Guide

132,277

-11%

1065.38

-15.80%

Brides

144,267

-4.4

1,508.26

2.10%

Martha Stewart Weddings

220,892

-7.5

581.15

2.20%

Modern Bride

161,333

-12.40%

1,091.29

-4.10%

Women's Lifestyle

Cosmopolitan

1,753,732

-6.10%

791.09

-15.10%

Cosmo Girl

302,836

-18%

298.23

-14.50%

Family Circle

869,296

-7.70%

730.41

-14.50%

First

1,175,400

-4.7

344.6

5.70%

Marie Claire

289,668

-12.10%

597.98

-7.30%

More

156,200

-16.20%

452.59

-23.40%

O, the Oprah Magazine

734,030

-17.30%

878

-6.70%

Redbook

202,235

-17.30%

704.51

-8%

Seventeen

328,425

-7.60%

376.84

-5.70%

Woman's Day

528,411

-9.60%

811.68

-2.80%

Woman's World

1,282,073

-10.50%

179.62

-1.10%

Shelter, Domestic, Regional Domestic

Architectural Digest

95,217

-12.60%

816.39

3.90%

Better Homes and Gardens

291,667

20.10%

840.16

-12.70%

Coastal Living

43,364

-17.40%

399.07

-29.10%

Cottage Living

107,538

-14.40%

239.5

-1.90%

Country Home

71,014

-17.80%

328.06

-11.90%

Country Living

149,146

-19.80%

495.74

-3.70%

Country Weekly

90,861

-19.40%

308.31

-21.90%

Domino

111,000

6.30%

307.31

0.90%

Dwell

81,748

-6%

582.37

-7.20%

Elle Décor

90,400

-2.60%

577.73

2.10%

Good Housekeeping

569,323

-13.90%

812.97

-0.70%

Home

52,750

10.40%

206.69

-30.90%

House Beautiful

84,645

9.30%

374.45

13.40%

Ladies' Home Journal

340,720

21.40%

611.07

-14.30%

Martha Stewart Living

271,544

-11.60%

633.29

-2.80%

Metropolitan Home

53,360

-10.50%

494.33

3.90%

Midwest Living

48,333

-5.20%

383.4

-0.80%

O at Home

294,398

-14.10%

NA

NA

Real Simple

389,016

-2.30%

872.21

-3.50%

Southern Accents

86,338

-10.80%

281.73

17.90%

Southern Living

168,105

-11.40%

619.96

-6.70%

This Old House

41,276

-18.80%

295.09

-8.20%

Town & Country

44,382

-11.80%

735.2

-4.80%

Traditional Home

117,114

-11.20%

349.78

-15.10%

Veranda

113,802

-22.80%

477.72

13.70%

Celebrity

Entertainment Weekly

40,147

-7%

605.39

-16.80%

InTouch Weekly

905,092

-28.70%

591.1

14.40%

OK Weekly

500,520

19.40%

368.16

31.70%

People

1,512,476

5.20%

1723.61

-4.90%

Star

701,318

-3.40%

626.52

1.20%

US Weekly

869,364

-10.50%

916.23

-6.80%

Cooking, Epicurean

Cooking Light

213,417

3.80%

615.76

-14.40%

Cooking with Paula Deen

273,940

-6.60%

68.48

31.00%

Bon Appetit

113,183

-5.20%

427.54

-4.00%

Every Day with Rachael Ray

410,148

6.20%

375.61

15.40%

Everyday Food

137,909

8.90%

265.26

-14.00%

Food & Wine

61,683

4.50%

586.27

-4.10%

Gourmet

87,967

3.50%

464.99

-18.50%

Saveur

39,323

5.40%

174.44

7.70%

Men's Lifestyle, Fitness, Young Men's

Bestlife

80,378

9.20%

271.65

16.80%

Details

72,680

-3.60%

542.84

-0.40%

Esquire

112,898

4.10%

431

-5.70%

GQ

211,700

5.30%

666.09

-5.20%

Maxim

426,673

-11.70%

388.19

0.70%

Men's Health

559,136

2.00%

459.76

-12.40%

Men's Journal

72,792

-3.40%

616.02

11.90%

Men's Fitness

111,799

-17.90%

454.39

0.40%

Business

Barron's

50,027

-6.90%

778.4

-0.30%

Category/Title

Newsstand, Jan-Jun (ABC)

% change, 2007-2008

Ad pages, Jan-Jun (PIB) 999

% change, 2007-2008

Newsweeklies

Time

95,950

-7%

798.42

-21.1%

Newsweek

82,756

-17.00%

687.99

-22.4%

U.S. News & World Report

38,488

2.90%

542.88

-30.3%

The Economist

66,888

9.90%

1245.47

3.7%

Women's Beauty & Fashion

Allure

228,667

-9.60%

741.69

-5.8%

Elle

332,167

-6.30%

1,170.57

6.4%

Glamour

685,663

-9.20%

860.2

-8.20%

Harper's Bazaar

167,291

-8.30%

890.22

9.40%

InStyle

783,254

4.00%

1,356.17

-9.60%

Life & Style Weekly

519,388

-30.20%

309.12

-3.90%

Lucky

237,750

-5%

722.22

-12.20%

Vogue

385,500

-14.80%

1328.13

0.40%

Teen Vogue

201,200

-15.70%

517.81

4.50%

Bridal

Bridal Guide

132,277

-11%

1065.38

-15.80%

Brides

144,267

-4.4

1,508.26

2.10%

Martha Stewart Weddings

220,892

-7.5

581.15

2.20%

Modern Bride

161,333

-12.40%

1,091.29

-4.10%

Women's Lifestyle

Cosmopolitan

1,753,732

-6.10%

791.09

-15.10%

Cosmo Girl

302,836

-18%

298.23

-14.50%

Family Circle

869,296

-7.70%

730.41

-14.50%

First

1,175,400

-4.7

344.6

5.70%

Marie Claire

289,668

-12.10%

597.98

-7.30%

More

156,200

-16.20%

452.59

-23.40%

O, the Oprah Magazine

734,030

-17.30%

878

-6.70%

Redbook

202,235

-17.30%

704.51

-8%

Seventeen

328,425

-7.60%

376.84

-5.70%

Woman's Day

528,411

-9.60%

811.68

-2.80%

Woman's World

1,282,073

-10.50%

179.62

-1.10%

Shelter, Domestic, Regional Domestic

Architectural Digest

95,217

-12.60%

816.39

3.90%

Better Homes and Gardens

291,667

20.10%

840.16

-12.70%

Coastal Living

43,364

-17.40%

399.07

-29.10%

Cottage Living

107,538

-14.40%

239.5

-1.90%

Country Home

71,014

-17.80%

328.06

-11.90%

Country Living

149,146

-19.80%

495.74

-3.70%

Country Weekly

90,861

-19.40%

308.31

-21.90%

Domino

111,000

6.30%

307.31

0.90%

Dwell

81,748

-6%

582.37

-7.20%

Elle Décor

90,400

-2.60%

577.73

2.10%

Good Housekeeping

569,323

-13.90%

812.97

-0.70%

Home

52,750

10.40%

206.69

-30.90%

House Beautiful

84,645

9.30%

374.45

13.40%

Ladies' Home Journal

340,720

21.40%

611.07

-14.30%

Martha Stewart Living

271,544

-11.60%

633.29

-2.80%

Metropolitan Home

53,360

-10.50%

494.33

3.90%

Midwest Living

48,333

-5.20%

383.4

-0.80%

O at Home

294,398

-14.10%

NA

NA

Real Simple

389,016

-2.30%

872.21

-3.50%

Southern Accents

86,338

-10.80%

281.73

17.90%

Southern Living

168,105

-11.40%

619.96

-6.70%

This Old House

41,276

-18.80%

295.09

-8.20%

Town & Country

44,382

-11.80%

735.2

-4.80%

Traditional Home

117,114

-11.20%

349.78

-15.10%

Veranda

113,802

-22.80%

477.72

13.70%

Celebrity

Entertainment Weekly

40,147

-7%

605.39

-16.80%

InTouch Weekly

905,092

-28.70%

591.1

14.40%

OK Weekly

500,520

19.40%

368.16

31.70%

People

1,512,476

5.20%

1723.61

-4.90%

Star

701,318

-3.40%

626.52

1.20%

US Weekly

869,364

-10.50%

916.23

-6.80%

Cooking, Epicurean

Cooking Light

213,417

3.80%

615.76

-14.40%

Cooking with Paula Deen

273,940

-6.60%

68.48

31.00%

Bon Appetit

113,183

-5.20%

427.54

-4.00%

Every Day with Rachael Ray

410,148

6.20%

375.61

15.40%

Everyday Food

137,909

8.90%

265.26

-14.00%

Food & Wine

61,683

4.50%

586.27

-4.10%

Gourmet

87,967

3.50%

464.99

-18.50%

Saveur

39,323

5.40%

174.44

7.70%

Men's Lifestyle, Fitness, Young Men's

Bestlife

80,378

9.20%

271.65

16.80%

Details

72,680

-3.60%

542.84

-0.40%

Esquire

112,898

4.10%

431

-5.70%

GQ

211,700

5.30%

666.09

-5.20%

Maxim

426,673

-11.70%

388.19

0.70%

Men's Health

559,136

2.00%

459.76

-12.40%

Men's Journal

72,792

-3.40%

616.02

11.90%

Men's Fitness

111,799

-17.90%

454.39

0.40%

Business

Barron's

50,027

-6.90%

778.4

-0.30%

BusinessWeek

29,917

-4.50%

934.51

-14.80%

Forbes

32,096

-6.20%

1307.51

-12.60%

Fortune

35,789

-2.70%

1135.87

1.30%

Inc.

21,775

24.70%

369.55

-2.40%

Kiplinger's Personal Finance

44,407

-19.60%

221.69

-15.30%

Money

101,770

-15%

336.06

-2.30%

SmartMoney

49,133

-20.10%

242.23

-21.90%

29,917

-4.50%

934.51

-14.80%

Forbes

32,096

-6.20%

1307.51

-12.60%

Fortune

35,789

-2.70%

1135.87

1.30%

Inc.

21,775

24.70%

369.55

-2.40%

Kiplinger's Personal Finance

44,407

-19.60%

221.69

-15.30%

Money

101,770

-15%

336.06

-2.30%

SmartMoney

49,133

-20.10%

242.23

-21.90%

Next story loading loading..