Today: The National Magazine Company, Hearst Corporation's principal business in the UK, announces a 15.8% year on year growth for SHE magazine and 2% increase for Cosmopolitan, among a set of strong ABC figures across the group.
Duncan Edwards, Chief Executive, The National Magazine Company, comments:
"We are very pleased with this round of circulation figures across our core business and our joint ventures. It has been a tough period for selling magazines, but one in which brands with a clear vision and exceptional creative execution have outperformed the pack. These reports prove, yet again, that this is the home of quality magazine publishing."
Jessica Burley, Managing Director, The National Magazine Company, comments:
"A solid set of ABC's with particularly impressive results for SHE and Cosmopolitan. Under the direction of new Editor Louise Court, Cosmopolitan's performance against the market is impressive, up 1.9% year on year. The magazine has undergone a makeover in recent months giving the brand a more up-beat tempo and fresh design template. With the cover price at £3.20 this brand remains the number one magazine for retail sales value in its sector. For clients and readers alike Cosmo is the magazine of choice.
SHE magazine shows that a 50 year old brand can still impress today's consumer up 11.5% period on period and 15.8% year on year. The new identity created by Editor Sian Rees is proving very popular and consumer confidence has returned to this title over the last 6 months."
Title Highlights
Coast: total ABC - 30,880
Under new editor Clare Gogerty Coast has seen a 10% improvement in copy sales at the same time as increasing frequency from five to ten issues.
Company: total ABC - 264,494
Company is one of the biggest women's lifestyle titles in the UK and continues to do well, significantly outperforming its market.
Cosmopolitan: total ABC - 450,952
An outstanding circulation achievement by Cosmopolitan which has increased sales by 1.9% year on year; significantly outperforming its market.
Country Living: total ABC - 192,337
Yet another year on year increase for Country Living magazine which has now delivered 13 consecutive ABC increases.
Esquire: total ABC - 53, 537
Esquire has achieved an active sales increase of 4.5% year on year. More can be expected from this title as the impact of the redesign begins to bite.
Good Housekeeping: total ABC -435,238
With over 218,000 subscribers, Good Housekeeping sells more copies today than it did three years ago; despite competition from low priced entrants into the market.
Harpers Bazaar: total ABC - 105,834
Another increase for Harpers Bazaar ahead of its new logo change in the September issue; this title has seen consistent ABC success since 2002.
House Beautiful: total ABC - 180,810
House Beautiful remains number two in its sector, this is a solid performance in what is one of the most difficult markets in the industry.
Prima: total ABC - 300,025
Prima is one of the UK's leading women's lifestyle titles and sells over 300,000 copies every month, over 100,000 of which are to subscribers.
Prima Baby: total ABC - 50,472
Selling over 50,000 copies and up 8.5% period on period, Prima Baby is enjoying success in a sector in which other titles are seeing significant decline.
SHE: total ABC -169, 112
SHE has seen outstanding sales success; up 15.8% year on year and 11.5% period on period, with almost all of the improvement coming from UK active sales, both newsstand and subscription.
Zest: total ABC - 102, 261
Zest has shown an excellent performance now selling over 100,000 copies again with a 4% increase year on year.
ACP-NatMag
Best: total ABC - 340,793
Best is now selling almost 100,000 copies more than its nearest rival, and has significantly outperformed its core competitors, both period on period and year on year, in a market that has seen major investment in re-launches and redesigns.
Real People: total ABC - 309,477
A solid performance by Real People which has outperformed its market.
Reveal: total ABC - 347,257
Reveal has increased both period on period and year on year in a market that has been held up by launches, and where most existing titles are seeing significant decline.
NatMag Rodale
Men's Health: total ABC - 238, 980
An exceptional performance by Men's Health increasing active sales by 3.9% year on year and 0.2% period on period. The majority of this growth has come from the UK.
About The National Magazine Company
The National Magazine Company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hearst Corporation established by William Randolph Hearst in 1910.
The business comprises the core wholly owned business, also called The National Magazine Co and interests in three Joint Ventures. These are partnerships with some of the world's best publishers as follows:
ACP-NatMag:
A 50:50 JV with ACP of Australia which focuses on weekly magazines.
NatMag Rodale:
A 50:50 JV with Rodale Inc. of the USA which focuses on health and wellbeing.
COMAG:
A 65:35 JV with Conde Nast, one of the UK's largest magazine distributors.
NatMag publishes 14 consumer titles in the UK: Coast, Company, Cosmopolitan, Cosmopolitan Bride, Country Living, Esquire, Good Housekeeping, Harper's Bazaar, House Beautiful, Prima, Prima Baby, SHE, You & Your Wedding, and Zest. The group publishes a further two magazines, Men's Health and Runner's World, through NatMag Rodale and three large scale weeklies, Best , Reveal and Real People through ACP-NatMag.
NatMag division, Hearst Digital Network, publishes a number of community websites for NatMag magazines and also includes the Handbag network and www.netdoctor.co.uk, the UK's leading consumer health site.
For further information please contact:
Jane Wynyard
PR & Communications Manager, The National Magazine Company
020 7439 5211, 07730 637731,
jane.wynyard@natmags.co.uk
