Condé Nast in U-turn on Glamour’s ABC figures

Condé Nast, the publisher of the handbag-sized glossy magazine Glamour, is set to do a U-turn by issuing an Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABCs) figure for the title after all.

Condé Nast, the publisher of the handbag-sized glossy magazine Glamour, is set to do a U-turn by issuing an Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABCs) figure for the title after all.

The publisher says this is because it was concerned that it might send out the wrong signals about the magazine’s correct circulation figures if it opted to send out a publisher’s statement only.

The company’s reasoning for not issuing ABCs had been because of the ABC rule stating that once a publisher opts for a quarterly audit, it cannot change the period over which its circulation is measured until it has had two consecutive quarterly audits. The next ABCs are scheduled for August 16.

A spokesman for ABC says that the rule still stands. However, Condé Nast will take the option of a four-month period ABCs, which will represent the January to June 2001 period. This will then be followed by a six-monthly audit for the July to December 2001 period.

Simon Kippin says: “There is nothing to hide and the publication of ABCs has a trustworthy ring to it. We are thrilled with the performance of Glamour.”

It is understood that the glossy title has beaten its monthly circulation figure by more than 100 per cent since its March launch. Condé Nast’s original target for Glamour was 200,000 a month, but the figure could top 450,000.

Industry insiders say that the effects of the launch of Glamour on existing fashion titles will be seen in the ABCs out next week. According to press buyers some, fashion titles will show disastrous decline in both period-on-period and year-on-year circulation figures.

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