Key Note Report: The Fall Continues in the Circulation of Consumer Magazines

TEDDINGTON, U.K. - Aug. 27, 2015 - PRLog -- According to Consumer Magazines, a new Market Update from market intelligence provider Key Note, the UK market for consumer magazines is experiencing difficult conditions at present, with falling circulations affecting many titles and declining advertising revenues depressing the overall value of the market. As is the case with many other sectors of the print market, the switch to digital media is contributing to the downturn. As a result, the circulation of many, even well-known, magazines is falling on an annual basis. A large number of these magazines also issue digital editions of their publications; however, although the circulation of these digital editions is rising strongly, their impact on the overall circulation of the magazines market remains minor and does not compensate for the ongoing downtrend in print circulations.

Consumer magazines are published for a wide range of interests and sectors, with the most popular — in terms of circulation/distribution — being those which cater for cookery and kitchen, women’s lifestyle/fashion, women’s weeklies, and radio and television guides. Circulation figures in most sectors of the market have been affected, however, with some more badly hit than others. This has, in turn, resulted in some previously high circulation paid-for titles switching to the freely distributed model. Other publishers are taking an alternative route, and are turning their print titles into the digital-only issues, while others still are taking a third option, and closing titles that they deem as no longer being viable. A recent example is Loaded, a trailblazer in the men's magazine market in the 1990s and which, at one time, sold around 300,000 copies. Loaded closed in April 2015 after 21 years in circulation.

Despite such closers, and despite the fall in print circulations, Key Note forecasts the consumer magazines market to rise by 0.9% between 2015 and 2019.

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Press enquiries: Adam Pembrey at Key Note at apembrey@keynote.co.uk or 0845 504 0452. Press/review copies of the report are available on request.

Notes to editors:

Key Note’s 2015 Market Update, Consumer Magazines, analyses the market for consumer magazines in the UK.

Key Note Ltd has been providing commercially relevant market information to libraries, academia and businesses since 1978. With over 1,000 titles available across 22 market sectors, and new or updated titles published every month, Key Note is one of the UK’s most prolific and respected business information providers. Within the range, some reports are written in response to particular market conditions, whereas other reports will be produced regularly year on year.

Key Note’s 2015 Market Update, Consumer Magazines, is available to purchase from Key Note on 0845-504 0452, by e-mail at sales@keynote.co.uk or at www.keynote.co.uk, priced £575.