Cosmo maintains lead on Marie Claire

Marie Claire has failed to close the gap on its rival Cosmopolitan in the latest round of ABCs, despite posting a 17 per cent year-on-year increase in circulation.

The IPC glossy increased circulation to 430,622 in the July to December audit period, giving Cosmopolitan – which recorded sales of 460,582 for the period – a lead of 29,960. Marie Claire reduced Cosmopolitan’s lead to 18,995 in the January to June ABCs and IPC had high hopes of taking Cosmo’s number one position in the young women’s magazine market.

“Cosmo is back on track editorially,’ says Abbott Mead Vickers. BBDO associate media director Katherine Almond. “They are both different magazines appealing to slightly different audiences, so it is good to see both of them doing well.”

IPC has already raised Marie Claire’s advertising ratecard by ten per cent from the February issue onwards.

The latest round of ABCs also brought bad news forIPC SouthBank’s practical women’s monthly titles which continue to be affected by Tesco’s clear checkout policies and by Sainsbury’s The Magazine dominating the retailer’s magazine display space.