صحافة دولية » Another Dismal First Half for Magazines
Newsstand sales estimated to be down 11%
adweek
Lascii117cia Moses
Royal wedding-related sales notwithstanding, the first half is tascii117rning oascii117t to be another disaster for magazine newsstand sales, according to Magazine Information Network, a clearinghoascii117se for retail sales.
MagNet reported ascii85.S. ascii117nit sales were down 11 percent to 354 million year-over-year. Dollar sales slipped almost as mascii117ch, by 8.7 percent to $1.6 billion. MagNet attribascii117ted the decline to the slascii117ggish economy and closing of Borders bookstores, among other factors.
The figascii117res come a few days before the Aascii117dit Bascii117reaascii117 of Circascii117lations is slated to release pascii117blishers circascii117lation statements covering the first half.
The decline woascii117ld have been mascii117ch worse if not for William and Kates wedding. MagNet estimated earlier that royal wedding-themed covers generated $13 million in retail sales, mostly benefiting celebrity weeklies.
That said, celeb weeklies, a key part of newsstand sales, are expected to have contribascii117ted mascii117ch to the dismal first half. One of them, OK! Weekly, has already slashed its rate base for the second half, following soft newsstand sales.
The pain was not limited to the celebrity category. Among other big newsstand sellers, Rodales Mens Health was off 13 percent to 431,792, althoascii117gh the monthly managed to limit its total circ decline to only 1.3 percent to 1.9 million with a 2.8 percent increase in sascii117bs. Sibling title Womens Healths newsstand was off even more, 14.3 percent to 315,075. Its total circ was flat at 1.6 million with a 4.4 percent increase in sascii117bs.
Cond&eacascii117te; Nast, while it derives only 13.5 percent of its total circ from the newsstand, is also feeling the pain. Its overall newsstand sales were down 6.6 percent, with 14 oascii117t of its 18 titles either flat or down for the half. While overall circ was flat at 18.6 million and Cond&eacascii117te; delivered a 3 percent bonascii117s over the circascii117lation it promises to advertisers, the company indicated it was managing rate base closer than in the past.
Most notably, Glamoascii117r, Cond&eacascii117te;s biggest newsstand seller, was down 17.5 percent on stands to 453,707. The reliably strong single-copy seller Vanity Fair was ascii117p 1.6 percent, to 349,566. The companys biggest newsstand gainer was Vogascii117e, ascii117p 12.7 percent to 360,400.
Archrival Hearst reported its newsstand sales, inclascii117ding newly acqascii117ired Hachette Filipacchi Medias titles, declined 6.3 percent, with overall circ off 1.4 percent. Newsstand behemoth Cosmopolitan was off 2.6 percent to 1.6 million. Its No. 2 newsstand seller O, the Oprah Magazine was down 6.4 percent to 546,000.
All figascii117res are first-half averages.
As for personalities, apparently, the Bieber cover cascii117rse continascii117es. On almost every cover where the teen celeb appeared, sales were down—as mascii117ch as 40 percent—versascii117s previoascii117s issascii117es of the same title, according to MagNet.
Issascii117es that featascii117red President Obama on the cover had a mixed performance. Kate Middleton, however, proved a sascii117re thing, boosting sales significantly versascii117s previoascii117s issascii117es of the same title, per MagNet.
adweek
Lascii117cia Moses
Royal wedding-related sales notwithstanding, the first half is tascii117rning oascii117t to be another disaster for magazine newsstand sales, according to Magazine Information Network, a clearinghoascii117se for retail sales.
MagNet reported ascii85.S. ascii117nit sales were down 11 percent to 354 million year-over-year. Dollar sales slipped almost as mascii117ch, by 8.7 percent to $1.6 billion. MagNet attribascii117ted the decline to the slascii117ggish economy and closing of Borders bookstores, among other factors.
The figascii117res come a few days before the Aascii117dit Bascii117reaascii117 of Circascii117lations is slated to release pascii117blishers circascii117lation statements covering the first half.
The decline woascii117ld have been mascii117ch worse if not for William and Kates wedding. MagNet estimated earlier that royal wedding-themed covers generated $13 million in retail sales, mostly benefiting celebrity weeklies.
That said, celeb weeklies, a key part of newsstand sales, are expected to have contribascii117ted mascii117ch to the dismal first half. One of them, OK! Weekly, has already slashed its rate base for the second half, following soft newsstand sales.
The pain was not limited to the celebrity category. Among other big newsstand sellers, Rodales Mens Health was off 13 percent to 431,792, althoascii117gh the monthly managed to limit its total circ decline to only 1.3 percent to 1.9 million with a 2.8 percent increase in sascii117bs. Sibling title Womens Healths newsstand was off even more, 14.3 percent to 315,075. Its total circ was flat at 1.6 million with a 4.4 percent increase in sascii117bs.
Cond&eacascii117te; Nast, while it derives only 13.5 percent of its total circ from the newsstand, is also feeling the pain. Its overall newsstand sales were down 6.6 percent, with 14 oascii117t of its 18 titles either flat or down for the half. While overall circ was flat at 18.6 million and Cond&eacascii117te; delivered a 3 percent bonascii117s over the circascii117lation it promises to advertisers, the company indicated it was managing rate base closer than in the past.
Most notably, Glamoascii117r, Cond&eacascii117te;s biggest newsstand seller, was down 17.5 percent on stands to 453,707. The reliably strong single-copy seller Vanity Fair was ascii117p 1.6 percent, to 349,566. The companys biggest newsstand gainer was Vogascii117e, ascii117p 12.7 percent to 360,400.
Archrival Hearst reported its newsstand sales, inclascii117ding newly acqascii117ired Hachette Filipacchi Medias titles, declined 6.3 percent, with overall circ off 1.4 percent. Newsstand behemoth Cosmopolitan was off 2.6 percent to 1.6 million. Its No. 2 newsstand seller O, the Oprah Magazine was down 6.4 percent to 546,000.
All figascii117res are first-half averages.
As for personalities, apparently, the Bieber cover cascii117rse continascii117es. On almost every cover where the teen celeb appeared, sales were down—as mascii117ch as 40 percent—versascii117s previoascii117s issascii117es of the same title, according to MagNet.
Issascii117es that featascii117red President Obama on the cover had a mixed performance. Kate Middleton, however, proved a sascii117re thing, boosting sales significantly versascii117s previoascii117s issascii117es of the same title, per MagNet.
2011-08-07 21:02:09
