Tough times for the magazine industry

Not one of the weekly magazines audited by the Audit Bureau of Circulations increased its circulation in the year to June 2008, The Australian reports.

Not one of the weekly magazines audited by the Audit Bureau of Circulations increased its circulation in the year to June 2008, The Australian reports.

Of a total 144 weekly and monthly magazines audited, 85 sufferred a fall in the number of issues sold. The weeklies were decimated, with not one recording an improvement in sales.

And it’s the staple of the industry, men’s and women’s interest magazines, that took the biggest hit, with some seeing circulation fall by as much as 18%.

Weekly magazines targeted at women such as Famous, Woman’s Day and New Idea were big losers, while monthlies Cosmopolitan and Women’s Weekly also struggled.

Among the men’s magazines, monthlies like of FHM, Ralph and Alpha all faired badly.

Marie Claire was one of the few to hold its ground, while Men’s Health magazine bucked the gloomy trend with a 10.3% lift in circulation.

The squeeze put on consumer spending by high rates and expensive fuel is believed to be behind the big fall.