Loaded leads men’s title pack
Paul McCann
IPC’s Loaded magazine has become the UK’s best-selling men’s lifestyle magazine, with a 33 per cent circulation increase to 127,677 in the January to June ABCs.
The sex, beer and football formula has pushed the title just above the previous leader, Condé Nast’s GQ, which posted sales of 127,276 for the same period.
It is Loaded’s second ABC figure and amounts to an increase of 183 per cent on the title’s launch guarantees to agencies of 45,000 in April 1994.
“We have plugged into the prevailing Zeitgeist, whatever that means,” says Loaded’s publishing director Andy McDuff. “We’ve certainly plugged into something.”
McDuff is keen to emphasise that the title’s success is not a fad. “The hype is based on a unique quality product, which is why our rivals are trying to steal our journalists.”
IPC has a print run of more than 200,000 planned for Loaded’s autumn issues which will average 188 pages, compared with 112 pages when it launched.
A second ratecard increase is also planned for later in the year. Loaded increased its rates by 25 per cent in March.
McDuff claims the readership is 77 per cent ABC1 which compares favourably with style magazine rivals. “We are just as likely to be read by both the defendant and his barrister,” he says.
See special report p35
