The CDS Global report says: “Once again the total UK ABC audited magazine subscription volumes have increased, albeit by a very small percentage (0.1%) against a 5.8% increase in total circulation worldwide. Year-on-year UK subscription figures stand at an additional 1.8%, despite a worldwide total circulation decrease of 4.7%. Of magazines reporting year-on-year figures 69 2% showed an increase in subscription numbers.
Share of Total Sales
Excluding subscription-only titles such as Candis and Saga, volume of subscriptions as a percentage of total sales showed a general increase from 19.1% to 20.6% across all titles.
Archant Ltd have made the most gains in terms of subscriptions as a share of total sales. Their two titles, EDP Norfolk and Let’s Talk, have both successfully been converted from newsstand and subscription to subscription-only publications, dramatically increased 19% to 99.8% (the remaining balance of which refers to overseas sales only).
Subscription Highs and Lows
The sectors showing the greatest UK year-on-year increase in terms of percentage are as follows; Countryside and County (19.9%), Children’s (19.6%), Leisure Interests (5.8%) and News& Current Affairs (4.4%). In terms of volume increases Women’s Interest publications led the way with an increase of 87 600 equating to 4%.
The sector showing the most dramatic losses volume-wise was General Interest, mainly due a decline in Readers Digest subscriptions of 97,500 or 22.8% - although the decline in subscription numbers is beginning to slow when period on period figures are taken into account.
In terms of individual titles the strongest subscription growth in the Countryside & County category was EDP Norfolk, reporting an increase of 14,185 subscribers, or 443.9% growth over the past year. In fact, of all 12 Regional titles only three reported declining subscription numbers year-on-year, and these losses were minimal percentiles, so overall performance for this segment was good.
In the Children’s sector the largest subscriptions volume increase was reported by First News, a Newsbridge Publication, which showed a 3,500 subscription increase. The rise equated to a 30% increase in their year-on-year figures, but also accounts for 53% of the overall sector growth. Spongebob Squarepants magazine showed the highest percentage increase.
The News & Current affairs sector indicated a healthy volume increase of 28,500 or 4.2%, yet 10 of 18 titles reported a year-on-year decline in subscriptions, the overall sector performance being boosted by strong performances from The Economist, The Week and Private Eye.
Titles of note include The Economist with a rise of nearly 20,000 subscriptions and Saga, who reported almost as much of a loss with a decline of 17,700 subscribers year-on-year.
Publisher Performance
Volume-wise BBC Worldwide, IPC Media and Conde Nast Publications Ltd generated the largest year-on-year increases for UK subscriptions with 47,000 ( 7.6%),30,000 ( 4.7%) and 25,000 ( 8.6%) respectively.
The performance of the remaining large consumer publishing houses was on the whole steady but unspectacular . Reported year-on-year figures from other notable publishers include Haymarket Consumer Media (4.26%), Future Publishing Ltd (3.28%), Dennis Publishing Limited (2.96%), The National Magazine Company Ltd (2.74%) and Bauer Consumer Media (1.27%).
The publishers showing the largest volume subscription decline were Readers Digest, Saga Publishing and Newhall Publications – all of which are subscription-only titles.
And the Future...
Magazine subscriptions continue to hold their own in an increasingly difficult and diverse marketplace. 2010 was the year of eReaders and the iPad, and with digital subscriptions set to be included in ABC reporting the future of subscriptions looks to be even brighter.”
