Magazines ABC Q4 2017: Customs the biggest loser

A decline of nearly 12% (11.7%) over Q3 and over 30% (30.7%) over the prior year makes Custom Magazines the biggest loser in the Magazine category, followed by Free Magazines which declined by 7% over Q3 and by 21.5% over the prior year. Custom Magazines saw Single Copy Sales declined by 31.2%, while Free circulation decreased by 13.7%, compared to Q3.

While Consumer Magazines declined by 5.8% over Q3, they increased by 1.4% over the prior year with all major categories of sales declining, except PDF Replica copies and sales below 50%, which increased by 25% and 8.7% respectively, compared to Q3.

B2B Magazines saw a minimum decline of 0.5% over Q3 and an increase by 2.7% over the prior year, saw all categories of circulation decline, except sales below 50%, which increased by 17% off a small base.

The best three publications are Top 500 SA’s Best Managed Companies, reporting annually, which increased its circulation considerably, with both Business Brief and Supermarket and Retailer increasing their circulation in digital by 70% and 56% over Q3. Supermarket and Retailer also increased circulation by 12.4% over the prior year.

Newspapers ABC Q4 2017: Losses across the board

Danette Breitenbach  14 Feb 2018

Consumer magazines

The home category, motoring category and the sports and hobbies category all declined in Q3, but increased over the prior year. On the flip side, showing an increase over Q3, but a decline over the prior year is the Consumer travel category and the Consumer Women’s General category.

The Consumer Home decreased by 8.4% over Q3, but increased by 6.7% over the prior year. In the category Real Estate had the strongest showing, with increases over Q3 and over the prior year. With a 23.5% increase over Q3, the publication’s circulation rose from 20,845 to 25,748, overtaking Its corresponding period circulation of 21,348. Both Elle and My Kitchen also increased over Q3. Elle, which showed a 7.6% increase, went to 17,086 from 15,885. It was still short of its corresponding period figure of 19,906. My Kitchen went from 98,017 to 103,338, an increase of 5.4% over Q3.

The Consumer Motoring Category declined by 4.4% over Q3, but increased by 5.7% over the prior year. Bike SA and Motor both increase by over four percent, with Bike SA moving from 17,183 to 17,946. This is also an increase over the prior year of 44% (from 12,478). Motor went from 41,035 to 42,789.

SA 4X4 increased by 2.7% over Q3 from 14,881 to 15,285 and by 10.1% over the prior year (13,882).

Consumer sports and hobbies decreased by 4.4% over Q3, but increased by 38.4% over the prior year. Two publications, The Bass Angler and Runner's World, showed an increase over Q3 and over the prior year.

The Bass Angler increased by 27.1% over Q3 (from 3,075 to 3,909) and by 31% over the prior year (3,075). Runners World achieved 15,956 an increase of 25.8% over Q3 (12,685) and rose 42% over the prior year (11,235).

Kick Off increased by 25.1% over Q3, taking it from 18,054 to 22,584. Unfortunately, it declined by 5.1% over the prior year (23 795).

The Consumer Travel Category increased by 12.6% over Q3, but declined by 3.3% over the prior year. Weg Namibië/Go Namibia increased by 13.9% over the prior year (34,827 vs 30,585) and Wegsleep Oordgids increased by 9.4% over the prior year (17,261 vs 15,777).

Increasing over Q3 and over the prior year, Weg/Go increased by 9% over Q3 (58,774 from 53,897) and by 6.7% over the prior year (55,072).

Despite an increase over Q3 of 1.2% Consumer Women’s General Category, the category declined by double figures – 14.7% – over the prior year.

Staying with this trend, True Love increased by 15.3% over Q3, taking circulation from 27,693 to 31,925 but declined by 24.7% over the prior year (42,373). Rooi Rose also increased over Q3, by 10.5% (63,818 to 70,546), but declined by 3.9% over the prior year (73,446).

Bucking the trend was Fairlady which saw an increase over Q3 and over the prior year, with an increase of 13.5% over Q3, from 32,975 to 37,431 and by 8.3% over the prior year (34,571).

B2B

The Architecture category declined overall by 10.6% over Q3 and by 10.4% over the prior year. SA Building Review increased by 5% over the prior year (10,680 to 11,218) as did To Build which increased by 17.2% over the prior year (8,572 to 10,049).

In the B2B management category was similar to the Architecture category, with a decline in Q3 and over the prior year. The category declined by 1.5% over Q3 and by 12.3% over the prior year.

The highlight was Top 500 SA’s Best Managed Companies, which increased significantly from 1,913 to 7,905. South African Business Integrator and The South African Schools Collection also increased over the prior year, with an 32.5% (20,071 from 15,151) and 19.9% (6,271 from 5,230) increase over the prior year respectively.

Custom

The Custom entertainment category declined by 45% over Q3 and by 76% over the prior year and saw DSTV Premium declined just short of 50% at 47% over Q3 and by 65% over the prior year, taking it to 277,189 from 526,548 (797,333 prior year).

Custom leisure followed the entertainment category, with declines over Q3 and the prior year. The Category declined by 6.6% over Q3 and by 6.4% over the prior year.

But not everyone followed the trends. Taste increased by 15.4% over Q3 (24,662 to 28,453) and by 3.9% over the prior year (27,376).

Despite Equinox increasing to 38,321 from 37,285 (+2.8%) over Q3, it declined by 2.8% over the prior year (39,435). Team SA increased by 1.5% over the prior year 10,955 vs 10,798).

Following suit, the Custom Retail Category declined by 13.2% over Q3 and by 35.8% over the prior year. Clicks Club Card increased 12.3% over the prior period (441,903 from 393,476) and by 1.4% over the prior year (436,014).

Soccer Club increased to 78,398 from 75,097 by 4.4% over Q3, however declined by 1% over the prior year (79,132). Man increased by 3.6% over Q3 (67,912 from 65,578), however declined marginally over the prior year (68,331).