ABC results reveal a downturn in women’s weeklies

The women’s weekly sector was down by 4.6% in the January to June period and 4.4% year-on-year, according to the latest set of ABCs, indicating an overall downturn in magazine circulations.

The women’s weekly sector was down by 4.6% in the January to June period and 4.4% year-on-year, according to the latest set of ABCs, indicating an overall downturn in magazine circulations.

The highest selling magazine in the weeklies sector continues to be H Bauer’s Take a Break, although it reported a slight decline in the period and was down almost 6% year-on-year.

EMAP’s Closer and Heat continued to grow their market share and Closer regained its lead over OK! Magazine. However, both Closer and Heat have experienced a levelling off period and seen a decline in circulations. Closer was down 7.1% in the six months to June and 3.4% year-on-year, while Heat was down 6.7% in the period and 3.4% in the year.

In the fight between OK! and Hello!, OK! continues to lead – selling 90,000 copies more than its rival. But Hello! is one of the few weeklies not to have experienced a circulation decline. It is up both in the period and year-on-year by 1.7% and 4% respectively.

IPC’s real-life magazine Pick Me Up also posted an increase in circulation to 447,100 copies per week, while its fashion and celebrity magazine Look posted a circulation figure of 318,907 copies per week.

Launched in February and backed by an £18m investment, IPC claims that with sales of more than 1.3 million copies every month the title is on target to deliver £21m in annual retail sales value.