SYDNEY: The Australian magazine market continued to decline but avoided mass losses, with overall sales down 1.99% year-on-year in the Audit Bureau of Circulations’ December 2009 report.
News Magazines’ generalist sporting title Alpha suffered the biggest circulation fall, plummeting 30.07% YOY.
With men’s lifestyle titles struggling, Alpha’s sales dropped to 73,118 from more than 100,000 copies in December 2008, well below its initial ABC audit of more than 200,000 after the title’s launch in 2005.
OMD head of print Simon Davies said Alpha has struggled because it "doesn’t have a clear position in the marketplace. On the one hand, everyone loves sport, and a sports mag would appear to be a good opportunity, but it is really competing with strong newspaper and online reporting.”
However, News Magazines’ chief executive Sandra Hook said the result was in line with company expectations following an overhaul in the distribution method of the title in April 2009, plus a cover price increase to $2.95.
“We predicted that there would be a circulation decline of about this order, but it was a managed decline,” Hook said.
Circulation drops were also seen in the children’s category, with all six audited titles showing dramatic double-digit declines.
ACP’s Disney Girl was hardest hit, down 27.42% to 24,530 copies sold.
However, Nick Chan, CEO of Pacific Magazines, which publishes Total Girl – down 12.77% – and K-Zone – down 20.03% – remained upbeat about the category.
“It’s a competitive market,” he said. “We aren’t just competing against magazines, but all the other forms of entertainment. I think it’s pretty amazing that every month we are continuing to sell half-a-million dollars worth of magazines in the category.”
Davies was more circumspect about the category. “The tween market continues to decline with each survey,” he said. "It’s difficult to see that category turning around.”
ACP’s teen title Dolly cracked the 140,000 mark with a dramatic 17.9% increase; ACP’s Harpers Bazaar was up 15.6% and Australian Women’s Weekly broke back through the half million copy barrier with a 2.23% rise.
Knockout Media’s Recipes+ recorded a 16.61% increase and ACP’s Australian Good Food was up 13.46%. to lead the way in the still healthy Food & Entertainment category.
Click here for the full list of magazine results. (SYDNEY: The Australian magazine market continued to decline but avoided mass losses, with overall sales down 1.99% year-on-year in the Audit Bureau of Circulations’ December 2009 report.
News Magazines’ generalist sporting title Alpha suffered the biggest circulation fall, plummeting 30.07% YOY.
With men’s lifestyle titles struggling, Alpha’s sales dropped to 73,118 from more than 100,000 copies in December 2008, well below its initial ABC audit of more than 200,000 after the title’s launch in 2005.
OMD head of print Simon Davies said Alpha has struggled because it "doesn’t have a clear position in the marketplace. On the one hand, everyone loves sport, and a sports mag would appear to be a good opportunity, but it is really competing with strong newspaper and online reporting.”
However, News Magazines’ chief executive Sandra Hook said the result was in line with company expectations following an overhaul in the distribution method of the title in April 2009, plus a cover price increase to $2.95.
“We predicted that there would be a circulation decline of about this order, but it was a managed decline,” Hook said.
Circulation drops were also seen in the children’s category, with all six audited titles showing dramatic double-digit declines.
ACP’s Disney Girl was hardest hit, down 27.42% to 24,530 copies sold.
However, Nick Chan, CEO of Pacific Magazines, which publishes Total Girl – down 12.77% – and K-Zone – down 20.03% – remained upbeat about the category.
“It’s a competitive market,” he said. “We aren’t just competing against magazines, but all the other forms of entertainment. I think it’s pretty amazing that every month we are continuing to sell half-a-million dollars worth of magazines in the category.”
Davies was more circumspect about the category. “The tween market continues to decline with each survey,” he said. "It’s difficult to see that category turning around.”
ACP’s teen title Dolly cracked the 140,000 mark with a dramatic 17.9% increase; ACP’s Harpers Bazaar was up 15.6% and Australian Women’s Weekly broke back through the half million copy barrier with a 2.23% rise.
Knockout Media’s Recipes+ recorded a 16.61% increase and ACP’s Australian Good Food was up 13.46%. to lead the way in the still healthy Food & Entertainment category.
Click here for the full list of magazine results. (SYDNEY: The Australian magazine market continued to decline but avoided mass losses, with overall sales down 1.99% year-on-year in the Audit Bureau of Circulations’ December 2009 report.
News Magazines’ generalist sporting title Alpha suffered the biggest circulation fall, plummeting 30.07% YOY.
With men’s lifestyle titles struggling, Alpha’s sales dropped to 73,118 from more than 100,000 copies in December 2008, well below its initial ABC audit of more than 200,000 after the title’s launch in 2005.
OMD head of print Simon Davies said Alpha has struggled because it "doesn’t have a clear position in the marketplace. On the one hand, everyone loves sport, and a sports mag would appear to be a good opportunity, but it is really competing with strong newspaper and online reporting.”
However, News Magazines’ chief executive Sandra Hook said the result was in line with company expectations following an overhaul in the distribution method of the title in April 2009, plus a cover price increase to $2.95.
“We predicted that there would be a circulation decline of about this order, but it was a managed decline,” Hook said.
Circulation drops were also seen in the children’s category, with all six audited titles showing dramatic double-digit declines.
ACP’s Disney Girl was hardest hit, down 27.42% to 24,530 copies sold.
However, Nick Chan, CEO of Pacific Magazines, which publishes Total Girl – down 12.77% – and K-Zone – down 20.03% – remained upbeat about the category.
“It’s a competitive market,” he said. “We aren’t just competing against magazines, but all the other forms of entertainment. I think it’s pretty amazing that every month we are continuing to sell half-a-million dollars worth of magazines in the category.”
Davies was more circumspect about the category. “The tween market continues to decline with each survey,” he said. "It’s difficult to see that category turning around.”
ACP’s teen title Dolly cracked the 140,000 mark with a dramatic 17.9% increase; ACP’s Harpers Bazaar was up 15.6% and Australian Women’s Weekly broke back through the half million copy barrier with a 2.23% rise.
Knockout Media’s Recipes+ recorded a 16.61% increase and ACP’s Australian Good Food was up 13.46%. to lead the way in the still healthy Food & Entertainment category.
Click here for the full list of magazine results.
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