Consumer magazines spent most of the past two decades managing decline. The more confident publishers have stopped doing that. Newsstand sales and print advertising are still shrinking, but well-made titles with loyal readers are raising cover prices and growing.
Scale matters less than it did. Bauer has made Grazia a more premium product and charged more for it, while independents such as Anthem have put print back at the centre of the business and grown their export sales. Stylist has changed format several times without losing its readers. Others have gone the other way, and Gay Times dropped print entirely to build a global audience online.
For most consumer publishers, print is our USP. It’s the anchor that makes advertisers trust us and the very thing that readers want from us.
Jon Bickley Our print strategy: Anthem
Behind the confidence sits some hard arithmetic. Newstrade is now a small share of revenue and events and ecommerce are growing from a low base. Trust has become a selling point as AI fills the web with content of uncertain origin, but the paid-for consumer model that works at scale is still being worked out.
Below you'll find some of our best feature articles on consumer magazines, from premium print and cover pricing to brand extensions, membership and the future of specialist titles, alongside our latest news and industry commentary.
For a while now, magazine publishers have been on the defensive, unsure about the viability of their traditional business model in a fast-changing world. Katie Vanneck-Smith wants to change all that.
We asked Tamar Riley, portfolio managing director at Immediate, what does best practice publishing look like in consumer media? This is what she said…
For premium titles like Grazia, Mojo and Empire, growth is increasingly coming not from extending reach but from deepening engagement with existing passionate audiences, as Lauren Holleyoake tells Ciar Byrne.
The printed magazine will be a cherished part of people’s lives for years to come, says Jon Bickley, co-founder and CEO. That is why it’s the key component in Anthem’s publishing strategy.
With the arrival of AI and the widespread availability of unattributable content, specialist publishers need to ensure that their titles are the trusted go-to brands in their sectors, Our Media’s Andy Marshall tells Ciar Byrne.
Stylist’s mission has been clear from day one: to engage with its female audience in an intelligent, positive and non-exploitative way. 16 years on, and current PPA Media Brand of the Year, they are staying true to those values, says Lisa Smosarski.
Gay Times was stuck in a rut, tied to its traditional publishing model and reaching only a small part of the LGBTQ+ community. Under the editorship of Lewis Corner, that began to change, as he explains to Ciar Byrne.
Whatever the rest of 2024 holds, two things are certain. Firstly, the bumpy economic ride will continue. Secondly, the need for media companies to have a broad base of revenue streams has never been more important or more challenging to achieve.
How do you create a specialist consumer media business that is fit for the future? What steps do you need to take to be resilient and flexible as audiences and technology evolve? Carolyn Morgan researched 20 innovators from across Europe to find out.
For many publishers, circulation is all about chasing volume, but they would be much better off chasing profitability, says Natalie Smith, client relationship manager at Warners.
Richard Reeves, managing director of the Association of Online Publishers (AOP), outlines why there is reason to be positive about the future and how prioritising unique connections with audiences will drive a new, strengthened era for publishers.
Welcome to our first e-commerce special. Having four or five viable revenue streams is the key to achieving long-term profitability, and for many publishers, e-commerce is now one of those streams.
A well-packaged order that arrives quickly and looks professional reinforces your brand’s credibility, says Jamie Wren, group commercial director at InterSend.
In mission-driven e-commerce, the story behind the product is as important as the product itself, says Nashitha Suren, group consumer revenues marketing director.
Inject personality into e-commerce content by showing audiences the individual recommending the products, and why they’re qualified to do so, says Beth Crane, director of commercial growth.
A good checkout feels effortless. It has a clean layout, minimal steps, clear pricing and no surprises, says Stewart Robinson, managing director of Full Fat Things.
Unsurprisingly, says Philippe van Mastrigt, managing director (Europe) at AdvantageCS, the future of payment in publishing is going to be largely dominated by automation, personalisation, and regulation.
The future of Singletrack World’s e-commerce strategy focuses on two key areas: reducing friction and consolidating touchpoints, says Mark Alker, co-founder.
LRB’s strategy is to engage its audience with new and exciting products as well as creating new iterations of its cult ranges, says Jill Tytherleigh, head of e-commerce and product development.
Future plc, a global platform for specialist media, has published its results for the year ended 30 September 2025.
Adnami accelerates European growth with Benelux expansion.
People are returning to the High Street and publishing brands are well positioned to take advantage.
BBC History Magazine has announced the launch of a new podcast series called Life Lessons from History.
Preciso, a bid-smart adtech platform, has strengthened its ties with one of the world’s leading AI hubs.
Some of Britain’s best editors, art directors and columnists were crowned last Wednesday evening at the BSME Awards 2025.
