Table of Contents

Executive Summary

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Executive Summary

Market Definition

INTRODUCTION

MARKET POSITION

MARKET TRENDS

Market Size

TOTAL MARKET

CIRCULATION

READERSHIP

BY INDIVIDUAL MARKET SECTOR

EXPORTS AND IMPORTS

Table 1: UK Publishers' Sales and Advertising Revenue from Consumer Magazines, 1988-1994

Table 2: Top Women's Magazines by Main Media Advertising Revenue (£000), August 1993 to July 1994

Table 3: Top 50 Women's Magazines by Circulation, January to June 1993 and 1994

Table 4: Readership of Women's Weekly Magazines, January to December 1993

Table 5: Readership of Women's Monthly Magazines, January to December 1993

Table 6: Women's Magazine Titles by Frequency of Publication ( percent of titles), 1994

Table 7: Top 20 Best-Selling Women's Monthly Magazines by Circulation, January to June 1993 and 1994

Table 8: Top-Selling Women's Weekly Magazines by Circulation, January to June 1993 and 1994

Table 9: Women's Magazine Titles by Category ( percent of titles), 1994

Industry Background

RECENT HISTORY

INDUSTRY CONCENTRATION

DISTRIBUTION

TRADE ASSOCIATIONS

Table 10: Publishers' Shares of the Circulation of the Top 64 Women's Magazines ( percent of total circulation), 1994

Table 11: Publishers' Shares of Women's Magazines by Title ( percent of total women's titles), 1994

Table 12: Top Women's Subscription Magazines, 1994

Competitor Analysis

THE MARKETPLACE

MARKET LEADERS

ADVERTISING AND PROMOTION

Table 13: Main Media Advertising Expenditure on Women's Magazines (£000), Year Ending September 1994

Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT)

Buying Behaviour

CONSUMER PENETRATION

Table 14: Readership Profiles of Women's Magazines ( percent of all adults), 1993

Outside Suppliers to the Industry

MAJOR PRINTERS

Current Issues

NEW LAUNCHES

WITHDRAWALS

COPYRIGHT

COMPANY ACTIVITY

VAT

Forecasts

Table 15: Forecasts for Sales and Advertising Revenue of Women's Magazines (£m), 1994-1998

Company Profiles

Further Sources

ASSOCIATIONS

PERIODICALS

DIRECTORIES

GENERAL SOURCES

ICC INFORMATION SOURCES

ICC INFORMATION GROUP LTD

GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS

OTHER SOURCES

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The UK market for women's magazines has performed relatively well throughout the recession. Publishers continue to cater for and create new niche markets and new titles are launched at regular intervals. The total market was worth an estimated £665m in 1994, with almost two-thirds of this coming from sales revenue.

Women's magazines cover a broad range of interests, including the home, the family, fashion, hair and beauty, health, crafts and celebrity news. General interest titles include a combination of some or all of these. Most are published monthly, weekly or bimonthly.

General interest titles still dominate the market, but the home interest sector is showing rapid growth. Other developing areas are crafts, baby and parent, a new style of health and beauty magazine, and store magazines.

To compensate for a drop in revenue from advertising during the economic slump, many publishers were forced to increase their cover prices. By introducing added value, in the form of free gifts and supplements, they succeeded in maintaining circulation levels.

The leading publishes of women's magazines are IPC, H. Bauer, The National Magazine Company, EMAP, G&J of the UK, DC Thomson and Conde Nast.

H. Bauer owns the two top-selling magazines, Take a Break and Bella, while IPC owns the next three best-selling titles, Woman's Weekly, Woman and Woman's Own. IPC takes by far the greatest share of the market, in terms of both circulation and number of titles published.

While the vast majority are sold through newsagents, an increasing number are being sold by supermarkets or via subscription. Supermarkets are now estimated to account for 9 percent of all magazine sales.

Main media advertising expenditure for the purpose of promoting the magazines themselves, rose significantly between 1993 and 1994, by some 65 percent, to stand at more than £8m. This was equivalent to 1.2 percent of market value and significantly lower than the £250m revenue gained from advertising within the magazines.

The future of the market looks strong to the end of the decade. Consumer confidence is rising and advertising investment is on the up again, both of which are necessary for market growth. Changing distribution patterns are creating more buying opportunities and giving the assurance of guaranteed future sales. Increased competition and the constantly changing demands of today's woman, will contribute to improved standards.

Text © 1995 Key Note

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