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February 17, 2011updated 13 Sep 2012 5:32pm

Mag ABCs: Sales of OK! Magazine drop almost a quarter

By Oliver Luft

Richard Desmond's OK! Magazine record a fall in circulation of almost a quarter during the second half of last year as sales of all but two titles in the women's weekly market declined.

OK! Magazine suffered a 23.4 per cent year-on-year fall in circulation to a weekly average of 405,608 during the last six months of 2010, as eight of the 25 titles in the sector recorded a double-digit fall in sales.

Overall, circulation in the women's weekly market fell 8.4 per cent year on year in the second half of 2010 to a total average circulation of 7,906,871.

Despite its drop in sales OK! Magazine remained the fourth biggest selling title in the sector.

Heat magazine wasn't as fortunate. Its 19.3 per cent year-on-year decline to an average weekly circulation of 370,132 dropped it into eighth place behind Hello!

Sam Delaney stood down as editor of Heat in December after little more than a year in the post and was replaced by acting editor Lucie Cave.

Despite sales falling 7.4 per cent year on year, H Bauer's real life title Take a Break remained the biggest in the sector with an average weekly circulation of 833,522 in the period.

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Publication of circulation figures today came as the Press Complaints Commission revealed that it had upheld a complaint against Take a Break after it identified a woman who, as a child, had been sexually assaulted by her stepfather.

Against the general downward trend in the women's weekly market, The Lady magazine and Real People both managed to put on sales.

Women's weekly magazine sales for the second half of 2010 (source ABC)

Figures given are average sale and change year on year

1 Take a Break 833,522 -7.4%

2 New! 562,284 -6.4%

3 Closer 498,683 -7.5%

4 OK! Magazine 450,946 -23.4%

5 Star 430,324 -12.5%

6 Chat 415,040 -5.7%

7 Hello! 405,608 -0.8%

 

8 Heat 370,132 -19.3%

9 Woman's Weekly 344,068 -0.1%

10 Now 338,328 -14.2%

11 That's Life 335,772 -11.3%

12 Reveal 324,590 -1.9%

13 Woman 309,878 -2.0%

14 Best 294,161 -2.4%

15 Woman's Own 291,700 -2.3%

16 Pick Me Up 287,029 -13.0%

17 Peoples Friend 282,766 -7.8%

18 Bella 245,286 -3.0%

19 Love It! 242,315 -14.5%

20 Real People 218,276 1.0%

21 Full House 173,999 -3.4%

22 My Weekly 130,190 -10.7%

23 National Enquirer – UK Edition 69,576 -9.1%

24 The Lady 30,201 4.9%

25 Woman's Way 22,197 -3.2%

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