Four in ten women’s weekly readers ‘buy no other title’
Research from Dunnhumby reveals that 39% of women’s weeklies buyers do not purchase any other type of magazine.
According to the July to December 2005 Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABCs) figures, the sector as a whole has seen sales rise in the period by 4.2% and 7.4% year on year. The growth in the sector has dented sales in the women’s glossy monthlies.
Purchasers of the top three women’s weekly titles, however, are not brand loyal: 61% of Chat purchasers also buy Take a Break and 35% of Take a Break consumers also buy Chat. Yet, 80% of Now readers buy no other women’s weekly.
According to Dunnhumby figures, 65% of readers buy titles in different categories, such as men ‘s weeklies and women’s monthlies.
TV listing titles have a strong repeat purchase, with over a third of magazine consumers buying six or more copies over a 26-week period. TV Times boasts the strongest repeat purchase figures (53%) compared to women’s weeklies (21%) – Take a Break has the highest repeat purchase rate at 30%. Another interesting finding is the fact that despite both being published on a Tuesday, TV Easy and TV Quick are bought mostly on a Friday.
The research also revealed that most readers pick up a magazine during their lunch break – accounting for 58% of women’s weeklies and 63% of TV listings. Almost half of all consumers buy magazines to digest their dairy dessert (the most popular brand being Müller Fruit Corner), while almost two-thirds pick up a soft drink with their magazine.
