Although some titles enjoyed year-on-year circulation hikes of more than 80 per cent in the second half of 2009, the women's weekly sector could only manage a 2.9 per cent lift overall, according to Audit Bureau of Circulations figures released today.
Northern and Shell's Star magazine soared to an average circulation of 492,067 copies per issue in the six months to the end of last year – an 83.4 per cent rise on the same period last year – while its sister title New reached 600,000, a 35.6 per cent year on year lift – overtaking its more established stablemate OK, along with Heat and Closer magazines to take the number two position.
Northern and Shell said in a statement that New's rise was down to a "combination of breaking news, exclusive interviews, celebrity columnists and true life stories", though it has also likely benefitted from cross-promotion via its sister titles two magazines and from being multipacked with other titles in the stable, like OK!.
H Bauer-published Bella also saw a big jump in average circulation as it rose 12.9 per cent to a weekly average of 253,001.
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Market leader Take a Break kept its top spot with a 4.6 per cent drop to a weekly circulation average of 900,000 copies.
The figures make awkward reading for Burda's Love it! which dropped 16.5 per cent to 283,379.
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Overall, the sector returned to growth with a total of 428,000 extra sales in the second half of last year when compared with the same period in 2008.
Women's interest weeklies (all percentages are year on year):
- Take a Break -H Bauer Publishing – 900,016 (-4.6%)
- New! – Northern & Shell Magazines Ltd -600,741 (35.6%)
- OK! Magazine – Northern & Shell PLC – 588,546 (15.7%)
- Closer – Bauer Consumer Media – 539,135 (-0.2%)
- Star – Northern & Shell PLC – 492,067 (83.4%)
- Heat – Bauer Consumer Media – 458,858 (-2.5%)
- Chat – IPC Media Ltd – 440,093 (-6.2%)
- Hello! – Hello! Ltd – 409,043 (-3.4%)
- Now – IPC Media Ltd – 394,130 (-9.1%)
- That's Life – H Bauer Publishing – 378,551 (-10.7%)
- Woman's Weekly – IPC Media Lt – 344,553 (1.2%)
- Reveal – The National Magazine Company Ltd – 330,911 (22.6%)
- Pick Me Up – IPC Media Ltd – 329,943 (-11.8%)
- Woman – IPC Media Ltd – 316,216 (-9.0%)
- Peoples Friend – D C Thomson & Co Ltd – 306,591 (-6.2%)
- Best – The National Magazine Company Ltd – 301,440 (1.8%)
- Woman's Own – IPC Media Ltd – 298,472 (-8.3%)
- Love It! – Hubert Burda Media UK – 283,379 (-16.5%)
- Bella – H Bauer Publishing – 253,001 (12.9%)
- Real People – The National Magazine Company Ltd – 216,038 (-0.6%)
- Full House – Hubert Burda Media UK – 180,070 (43.5%)
- My Weekly – D C Thomson & Co Ltd – 145,750 (-4.5%)
- National Enquirer (UK Edition) – American Media Inc – 76,504 (-4.9%)
- The Lady – The Lady – 28,782 (9.3%)
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