ABCs: Weekly magazines continue to dive
Weekly magazines covered by the Audit Bureau of Circulation have seen an across-the-board drop in circulation according to figures released today.
The numbers show that all 13 audited publications have lost sales since last year, and all but one saw a dip in circulation since the last quarter.
Pacific Magazines’ four audited titles That’s Life, Who, Famous and New Idea are all down on last year. New Idea was the only publication to increase since the last quarter, going up by 0.39 per cent from 293,031 to 294,165. Nick Chan, CEO of Pacific Magazines, said: “Product, marketing and distribution will continue to be our focus. We recognise that change is a constant and the teams are always trying to improve their product.” When asked if there would be any major changes in the wake of the audit number Chan said it was “unlikely” any publications would close down, adding: “All our weeklies are profitable.”
The magazine with the most dramatic fall is classified title Quokka, published by West Australian Newspapers. The magazine fell 27.6 per cent from 35,021 readers to 25,365 between 2012 and 2013. Since last quarter, it has lost 10.36 per cent of its audience.
They either need to kill Zoo or it needs a total relaunch. The covers are tatty and dated, the content weak and I would imagine the vast amount of its demographic would be utterly embarrassed to be seen in public with it (hence its dire circ figures.)
The magazine industry hit the proverbial iceberg almost a decade ago. The lower decks are fast filling with water but while she remains upright the captains will assure us everything is OK. But as Leonardo and Kate showed us, when the inevitable end comes, it’ll be fast and deadly. You can only man the bilge pumps for so long.
More to the point: who are these 200,000 morons still reading magazines at all? Retirement home circulation anyone?
@ Thompson…. I may be wrong in saying this but it appears 35+ year old moms are keeping the industry afloat – hence why Woman’s Weekly, Woman’s Day, New Idea are still doing reasonably well. When that market goes AND fashion and beauty advertisers finally realise their ad spend’s not worth it then, you’ll have, the sinking ship….
Future Publishing, the old hobby magazine group, which had lower operating costs than anyone else, used to say that they needed a circulation of 30k to break even. Looks like Quokka and BRW won’t be around for much loger then…
Grazia folded just in time to avoid the embarrassment of revealing it’s ABC. Anyone have figures they can share with us?
On the flight from Sydney-Adelaide, the bloke sitting next to me was reading ZOO.
First time I’d seen anyone read that mag in public.
Luckily, the row of seats next to me was empty…
@ MaryMagdalene…. I think you’ll find that’s called schadenfreude….
@MaryMagdalene what do you want figures for? A laugh? Shame on you.
Perhaps if you are lucky you can hunt down some of the now unemployed Grazia staff to throw rotten fruit at too?
I am a magazine reader. I enjoy the little window of me-time when I can relax and enjoy a mag in hard copy. Unlike online when my emails ping and distract me as I’m trying to read.
I hope these mags that I enjoy reading continue. And that the companies that employ so many are able to keep doing that.