Newsstand Pressures Intensify
Baird Davis
The newsstand may not yet have reached “Survivor” levels, but it sure isn’t getting any easier.
An analysis of the newsstand picture for this year’s first half confirms that mature titles are being increasingly battered by upstarts in the battle for share of the shrinking newsstand market Moreover, the net number of audited titles on the mainline decreased during this period–perhaps signaling the beginning of a shake-out among these titles.
Overall Newsstand Performance
Like my second-half 2000 analysis (April, page 43), this one is based on ABC- and BPA International-audited titles. These are quite indicative of newsstand trends as a whole, since they represent about 70 to 75 percent of total newsstand sales.
In this year’s first half, unit single-copy sales for audited titles declined by 3.4 percent, compared to first half 2000. However, overall retail sales revenue increased by 2.1 percent, to nearly $1.6 billion. (Overall market percentage changes reflect data for all titles that were audited in first half 2000, even if they weren’t audited in first half 2001.)
Checkout titles continued to perform somewhat better than mainline titles, particularly on the revenue side. While their unit sales declined by 2.8 percent, their dollars grew by a substantial 5.3 percent Meanwhile, mainline unit sales dropped by 5.2 percent, and dollars declined by 2.8 percent.
During the past year (July’00 to June ’01), retail revenue for all audited titles has risen by a meager 0.9 percent The unit picture is even more disturbing. Units have declined by 4 percent, or more than 50 million copies. In such an environment, few publications go unscathed.
Impacts of New Titles, Cover Prices
The dramatic impacts of changes in retailer and wholesaler dynamics on the newsstand are all too familiar by now. But a full perspective also requires an understanding of two fundamental factors that continue to have major impacts in shaping the newsstand: new titles and cover pricing.
* New magazines: In this year’s first half, 41 titles fell out of the audited ranks. But 26 were added to the rolls, and their impact on sales far out-weighed the losses from the “disappearing” titles:
First Half 2001 # Titles Unit Sales Retail $
(000) (000)
NEWLY AUDITED TITLES 26 22,554 $79,773
CEASED AUDIT 41 4,933 $18,107
DIFFERENCE -15 +17,621 +$61,666
As you can see, the newly audited titles resulted in a net infusion of nearly $62 million in newsstand sales–representing 3.9 percent of total retail revenue for audited titles in first half 2001. Without this lift, overall unit sales would have declined by 6.6 percent instead of 3.4 percent, and retail dollars would have declined by 1.9 percent, instead of showing a 2.1-percent increase.
This is not an aberration. In last year’s second half, the net addition of new titles to total retail revenue was 3.3 percent And, although I haven’t crunched the numbers for earlier periods, I’m willing to bet that a similar dynamic has been in play for years.
The inescapable conclusion is that the newsstand performance of established titles is even worse than one might imagine from a cursory look at the numbers. In the Darwinian newsstand environment, mature titles are facing a tougher battle for sales with each passing year.
* Cover prices: In first half 2001, there were 580 audited publications with some newsstand component Ninety-one of these, or about 16 percent, changed their cover prices at some point during the 12-month period encompassing second half 2000 and first half 2001.
The effects of price increases were far more significant at the checkout than on the mainline. Twenty (28 percent) of the top 71 checkout titles changed price. This lifted the average checkout title cover price from $2.29 in first half 2000 to $2.48 in first half 2001 (an 8.5-percent increase).
Checkout-title price increases accounted not only for the first-half gain in retail dollars at checkout, but also for the slight overall dollar gain for total audited titles for the period.
The natural assumption would be that publishers were quite successful in raising their prices. But a closer inspection reveals that the net revenue gain for these titles was very small, due to dollars lost as a result of unit declines following price increases. Among the 20 checkout titles that raised price (by 15 percent, on average), unit sales declined by 11.5 percent, while total revenue increased by just 1.4 percent
Meanwhile, checkout titles that did not increase their cover prices experienced small declines in unit sales and retail revenue (each was down by 0.6 percent).
On average, then, cover price increases did produce a small bottom-line revenue advantage. And six of the 20 titles that increased price saw higher unit sales. Still, one can’t help but wonder about the true financial net for the rest of these titles. Those lost units undoubtedly added costs on the subscription side, and it’s reasonable to assume that their sell-throughs were also negatively impacted.
If a title is hot, or it has significantly improved its editorial and design, then there’s a good chance that a price increase will produce positive results. But cover price increases in and of themselves are not a panacea for declining newsstand performance. In fact, their main effect may be to worsen the steady efficiency erosion that has plagued the industry.
The Checkout: The Strong Get Stronger
The table on the next page shows a first half 2001 ranking of the top 71 audited checkout titles by retail sales.
These include three new titles that weren’t in the same ranking for second half 2000 (April, page 43): Soap Opera In Depth ABC, Soap Opera In Depth CBS and Real Simple. They also include three titles that were in the last ranking, but have begun to be audited within the past year: O, the Oprah Magazine, Cosmo Girl! and Talk. Combined, these six new titles generated $48 million in retail sales, accounting for nearly 5 percent of total checkout revenue. Not n bad debut.
Here are some points of interest derived from my analysis of first half checkout performance:
* The top 15 titles generated $611 million, or 62 percent of total checkout sales. O and In Style are the rising stars in this elite group.
* Cover prices continued to rise quite rapidly As noted, average cover price rose by 8.5 percent, as compared to first half 2000. This helped produce a small lift in overall retail revenue, but also undoubtedly contributed to unit sales and efficiency declines.
* Major publishers continued to increase their dominance at the checkout In second half 2000, six companies (Time Inc., American Media, Hearst, TV Guide, Bauer and Conde Nast) accounted for 72 percent of audited-title checkout revenue. In this year’s first half, their combined portion of retail revenue increased to 74 percent, even though TV Guide’s retail dollars fell by 19 percent.
* The checkout’s share of total retail sales–and its influence on overall newsstand dynamics–also continues to grow. In second half 2000, checkout sales represented 60 percent of total audited retail revenue. In this year’s first half, that number increased to 62 percent.
Mainline: Not a Pretty Picture
Obviously, a far greater number of consumer titles are sold on mainline displays than at the checkout And when unaudited titles (nearly all of which are sold at mainline) are thrown into the mix, mainline retail revenue is about equal to checkout revenue. But in spite of revenue parity; the mainline’s influence is waning. What’s behind this trend?
* The newsstand market is becoming “hit-driven.” There have been several big mainline “hits” in recent years, including the men’s titles Maxim, Stuff and FHM. But in some respects, hit-driven marketing serves the checkout better than the mainline. Wholesalers and retailers are adding greater momentum to the hit trend by concentrating more and more of their efforts on high-volume, efficient products. This is great for the best-performing titles, and an argument could be made that this is also exactly the way things ought to be. But it’s also one reason that overall mainline sales are declining more rapidly than checkout sales.
* Steep sales erosion continues. Over the past year (July 2000 through June 2001), mainline units have declined by 34 million, or 6 percent Dollars have declined by $223 million, or 3.5 percent
Although mainline titles represent less than 40 percent of audited newsstand revenue, the mainline accounted for 68 percent of the sales decline during the past year. In a vicious cycle, the precipitous decline in units has contributed to filling efficiency levels, and increased mainline titles’ difficulty in meeting their rate bases.
* Titles with lower sales volumes are increasingly vulnerable–and a mainline shakeout does appear to be underway. All 41 titles with a newsstand component that ceased publication or stopped being audited during this period were mainline publications. Meanwhile, only 20 new audited titles sold at mainline were introduced to the market, for a net loss of 21 titles. It’s possible that the decline in the number of mainline audited titles began before first half 2001. It’s also possible that this decline could reverse itself in a future period. But I doubt it And if the overall number of audited titles is starting to dwindle, one can only imagine how many non-audited titles have disappeared from the mainline in the past year, not only through denial of authorizations, but by simply ceasing to publish. (After all, most unaudited titles are more dependent on newsstand sales for their continued health and survival than audited books that carry significant amounts of advertising.) In short, I think it’s safe t say t hat the decades-old trend of unceasing growth in the overall number of titles on the mainline is probably over.
Furthermore, in contrast to the scenario at the checkout, the sales differential between departing and new audited mainline titles was minimal. The net positive revenue gain for new versus departing titles was only $6.2 million, or just 1.1 percent of total mainline sales.
The first half also saw another notable change in mainline dynamics: Primedia’s acquisition of EMAP USA.
Although the total number of consumer magazine publishers has been dwindling over the years, the mainline has continued to be characterized by a good deal of title and publisher diversity. In fact, up to this point, no single publisher has controlled more than 6 or 7 percent of total volume. The combined volumes of the Primedia and former EMAP titles will change that If, for analysis sake, we lump the total first-half newsstand numbers for EMAP’s titles in with Primedia’s, we come up with $81 million in retail mainline sales, or 13.8 percent of total audited mainline revenue. Primedia’s aggregate retail revenue will now be nearly two-and-a-half times larger than its nearest mainline competitors, Dennis and Ziff Davis (which generated $33 million and $28 million in retail sales, respectively, during the first half).
Primedia’s mainline clout could be a good thing. They could provide much-needed leadership in an area where hundreds of publishing companies now operate, and perhaps spur the efficiency improvements that would encourage retailers and wholesalers to put more effort into the mainline.
Top-50 Trends
An analysis of the top 50 U.S. newsstand publishers reveals the following
* Together, Time Inc. and American Media accounted for more than $400 million in retail revenue in the first half, or more than one-quarter of all newsstand dollars. These companies derive about $380 million of their total newsstand revenue from the checkout, which makes them by far the biggest powers in that arena.
* The other primary newsstand players are Primedia, Hearst, Bauer and Conde Nast. TV Guide is still a formidable newsstand player, but it’s started to relinquish its place at the top of the ladder.
Based on newsstand numbers for the full first half; Primedia has added over $37 million in annual retail sales through its EMAP acquisition. This means that Primedia’s retail sales now surpass those of Hearst, Bauer and Conde Nast, as individual entities. However, Primedia is the only one of the six top newsstand publishers that gets most of its newsstand revenue (60 percent) from the mainline.
Can the Mainline Survive?
Over the years, checkout dynamics haven’t been fundamentally altered by the continual growth in the number of new titles. The closed nature of the checkout has provided title expansion discipline. Efficiencies and cover-price economics remain the most critical marketing issues at checkout.
On the mainline, the problems are more complex. The increasingly hit-driven nature of this sector, the decades of indiscriminate title expansion, the lack of clear publisher leadership and the changes in wholesaler/retailer mainline practices have combined to depress sales. The mainline needs to be comprised of a smaller group of titles that have earned their place. Wholesalers are already reducing allotments and authorizations for inefficient titles (undoubtedly one factor in the decline in the number of audited mainline titles, as well as unaudited ones). But publishers may have to self-restrict distribution, as well. In some cases, they may have to recognize that removing a title from the mainstream newsstand arena is the only sensible course of action. This is tough medicine, but it might just save the longterm viability of the mainline.
Baird Davis, a veteran consumer marketer, is now a publishing consultant based in Tucson, AZ.
MAINLINE VS. CHECKOUT TRENDS, AUDITED TITLES
First Half 2001 vs. First Half 2000 (000)
First Half’01 First Half’00
Units $ Sales Avg. Units
Price
Mainline Titles 143.9 $593.8 $4.13 151.8
Checkout Titles 397.6 987.8 2.48 409.0
All Audited Titles 541.5 1,581.6 2.92 560.8
% +/-
$ Sales Avg. Units $ Sales Avg.
Price Price.
Mainline Titles $611.0 $4.03 -5.2% -2.8% +2.5%
Checkout Titles 938.3 2.29 -2.8 +5.3 +8.3
All Audited Titles 1,549.3 2.76 -3.4 +2.1 +5.8
Source:Analysis of first-half ABC Fas-Fax (including supplementary
data) and BPA International Consumer Trac. Second Half 2000 unit
and dollar data were used for those titles for which first-half
2001 data was not available at press time. These titles represent
an estimated I percent of total unit sales and 1.6 percent of
retail sales.
TOP AUDITED CHECKOUT TITLES BY RETAIL DOLLARS First Half 2001 (000)
Freq. Cover Units Units % +/-
Price Sold Sold Units
1st H 1st H Sold
’01 ’00
1. People Weekly 25 $2.99 35,650 33,575 6.2
2. National Enquirer 26 1.89 42,874 43,992 (2.5)
3. TV Guide 26 1.99 32,084 43,966 (27.0)
4. Star 26 1.89 32,838 35,776 (8.2)
5. Woman’s World 26 1.25 40,872 39,832 2.6
6. Cosmopolitan 6 3.50 10,998 11,238 (2.1)
7. Globe 26 1.89 16,198 18,826 (14.0)
8. Family Circle (f) 8 1.95 12,848 15,957 (19.5)
9. Woman’s Day 9 1.69 14,490 14,337 1.1
10. In Style 6 3.99 5,832 5,550 5.1
11. Soap Opera Digest (f) 24 3.49 6,216 8,346 (25.5)
12. O, The Oprah Mag. 6 3.50 6,108 — —
13. Glamour 6 3.50 6,024 6,744 (10.7)
14. First for Women (f) 9 1.99 10,458 10,040 4.2
15. US Weekly (f) 20 2.99 6,240 6,052 3.1
16. Newsweek (f) 25 3.95 3,475 4,004 (13.2)
17. Time 25 3.50 3,875 3,375 14.8
18. Soap Opera Weekly 26 2.49 5,382 6,500 (17.2)
19. Good Housekeeping 6 1.95 6,300 6,438 (2.1)
20. BH&G Specials 11 4.99 2,412 2,277 5.9
21. Martha Stewart Living (f) 6 4.75 2,412 1,805 33.6
22. Reader’s Digest 6 2.49 4,440 4,398 1.0
23. Sports Illustrated 26 2.99 3,484 3,354 3.9
24. Marie Claire 6 2.95 3,378 3,294 2.6
25. Vanity Fair 6 3.95 2,310 2,250 2.7
26. Muscle & Fitness 6 5.99 1,518 1,590 (4.5)
27. Country Weekly 13 2.99 2,977 2,860 4.1
28. YM 5 2.99 2,970 3,145 (5.6)
29. Shape 6 2.99 2,916 2,232 30.6
30. Seventeen 6 2.99 2,832 3,468 (18.3)
31. Teen People 5 2.99 2,825 3,380 (16.4)
32. Redbook 6 2.50 3,336 3,696 (9.7)
33. Vogue 6 3.50 2,292 2,586 (11.4)
34. Country Living 6 3.50 2,280 2,478 (8.0)
35. Soap Opera ID ABC 13 2.99 2,548 — —
36. Soap Opera ID CBS 13 2.99 2,548 — —
Retail Retail % +/-
Sales Sales Retail
1st H 1st H Sales
’01 ’00
1. People Weekly $106,950 $100,725 6.2
2. National Enquirer 81,032 74,346 9.0
3. TV Guide 63,847 78,699 (18.9)
4. Star 62,064 60,461 2.7
5. Woman’s World 51,090 49,790 2.6
6. Cosmopolitan 38,493 39,333 (2.1)
7. Globe 30,614 31,813 (3.8)
8. Family Circle (f) 25,054 26,967 (7.1)
9. Woman’s Day 24,488 21,362 14.6
10. In Style 23,328 19,425 20.1
11. Soap Opera Digest (f) 21,694 24,955 (13.1)
12. O, The Oprah Mag. 21,378 — —
13. Glamour 21,084 23,604 (10.7)
14. First for Women (f) 20,916 20,080 4.2
15. US Weekly (f) 18,720 18,156 3.1
16. Newsweek (f) 13,900 14,014 (0.8)
17. Time 13,563 11,813 14.8
18. Soap Opera Weekly 13,401 13,000 3.1
19. Good Housekeeping 12,285 12,554 (2.1)
20. BH&G Specials 12,060 10,247 17.7
21. Martha Stewart Living (f) 11,457 8,123 41.0
22. Reader’s Digest 11,056 10,951 1.0
23. Sports Illustrated 10,452 10,062 3.9
24. Marie Claire 10,134 8,235 23.1
25. Vanity Fair 9,240 9,000 2.7
26. Muscle & Fitness 9,108 9,540 (4.5)
27. Country Weekly 8,931 7,150 24.9
28. YM 8,910 9,435 (5.6)
29. Shape 8,748 6,696 30.6
30. Seventeen 8,496 10,404 (18.3)
31. Teen People 8,475 10,140 (16.4)
32. Redbook 8,340 9,240 (9.7)
33. Vogue 8,022 9,051 (11.4)
34. Country Living 7,980 7,434 7.3
35. Soap Opera ID ABC 7,644 — —
36. Soap Opera ID CBS 7,644 — —
37. Self 6 2.99 2,460 2,424 1.5
38. Rolling Stone 12 3.95 1,812 2,004 (9.6)
39. Rosie (f)(n) 5 3.00 2,370 2,514 (5.7)
40. Entertainment Weekly (f) 25 2.99 2,325 2,424 (4.1)
41. Pillsbury Classic 6 3.50 1,866 2,382 (21.7)
42. Prevention 6 2.49 2,610 2,880 (9.4)
43. BH&G 6 2.99 2,154 1,818 18.5
44. J-14 6 2.99 2,046 2,346 (12.8)
45. Southern Living 6 4.95 1,200 1,266 (5.2)
46. Ladies’ Home Journal 6 2.49 2,328 2,370 (1.8)
47. Elle 6 3.50 1,608 1,614 (0.4)
48. Bride’s 3 4.99 1,113 1,191 (6.5)
49. Mademoiselle 6 2.99 1,818 2,298 (20.9)
50. Allure 6 2.99 1,800 1,596 12.8
51. Soap Opera Update 13 2.99 1,742 2,067 (15.7)
52. Cosmo Girl! 5 2.99 1,715 – –
53. Cooking Light 5 3.95 1,285 1,250 2.8
54. Modern Bride 3 5.99 804 879 (8.5)
55. Country Home 4 4.95 960 952 0.8
56. Fitness (f) 5 2.99 1,595 1,776 (10.2)
57. Real Simple 5 3.95 1,140 – –
58. Jet 25 1.25 3,425 3,325 3.0
59. Money 6 3.95 1,068 1,428 (25.2)
60. Teen Magazine 6 2.99 1,344 1,992 (32.5)
61. Traditional Home 3 4.95 765 726 5.4
62. Bon Appetit 6 3.50 1,086 1,140 (4.7)
63. Twist 5 2.99 1,235 1,340 (7.8)
64. Victoria 6 2.95 1,134 1,122 1.1
65. Bridal Guide 3 4.99 582 645 (9.8)
66. House Beautiful 6 3.50 774 822 (5.8)
67. Country Living Garden 3 3.95 663 705 (6.0)
68. Sunset 6 3.99 660 696 (5.2)
69. Harper’s Bazzaar 6 3.00 846 1,014 (16.6)
70. Talk 5 3.50 550 – –
71. Disney Adventures 5 3.49 520 645 (19.4)
CHECKOUT TOTAL 713 $2.48 397,643 409,012 (2.8)
37. Self 7,380 7,272 1.5
38. Rolling Stone 7,248 6,012 17.1
39. Rosie (f)(n) 7,110 5,148 27.6
40. Entertainment Weekly (f) 6,975 7,272 (4.1)
41. Pillsbury Classic 6,531 8,337 (21.7)
42. Prevention 6,499 7,171 (9.4)
43. BH&G 6,462 5,454 18.5
44. J-14 6,138 7,038 (12.8)
45. Southern Living 6,000 6,330 (5.2)
46. Ladies’ Home Journal 5,797 5,901 (1.8)
47. Elle 5,628 5,649 (0.4)
48. Bride’s 5,565 5,955 (6.5)
49. Mademoiselle 5,454 6,894 (20.9)
50. Allure 5,400 4,788 12.8
SI. Soap Opera Update 5,226 6,201 (15.7)
52. Cosmo Girl! 5,145 – –
53. Cooking Light 5,140 5,000 2.8
54. Modern Bride 4,824 4,395 9.8
55. Country Home 4,800 4,760 0.8
56. Fitness (f) 4,785 5,328 (10.2)
57. Real Simple 4,560 – –
58. Jet 4,281 4,156 3.0
59. Money 4,272 5,712 (25.2)
60. Teen Magazine 4,032 5,976 (32.5)
61. Traditional Home 3,825 3,630 5.4
62. Hon Appetit 3,801 3,420 11.1
63. Twist 3,705 4,020 (7.8)
64. Victoria 3,402 3,366 1.1
65. Bridal Guide 2,910 3,226 (9.8)
66. House Beautiful 2,709 2,466 9.9
67. Country Living Garden 2,652 2,820 (6.0)
68. Sunset 2,640 2,784 (5.2)
69. Harper’s Bazzaar 2,538 3,042 (16.6)
70. Talk 1,925 – –
71. Disney Adventures 1,815 1,935 (6.2)
CHECKOUT TOTAL $987,772 $938,263 5.3
Source: ABC and BPA data. Revenue estimates based on same data.
(f) Frequency changes between 1st half ’00 and 1st half ’01.
Increases: US Weekly, from 17 issues to 20; First for Women,
from 8 to 9; Martha Stewart Living, from 5 to 6; Entertainment
Weekly, from 24 to 25. Decreases: Family Circle, from 9 to 8;
Soap Opera Digest, from 26 to 24; Newsweek, from 26 to 25;
McCall’s/Rosie, from 6 to 5; Fitness, from 6 to 5.
(n) Name change: McCall’s to Rosie. Data shown for Rosie in 1st
half ’00 are actually McCall’s sales.
TOP 50 AUDITED MAINLINE TITLES, BY RETAIL $ SALES First Half 2001 (000)
Freq. Cover Units Units
Price Sold Sold
1st H 1st H
’01 ’00
1. Penthouse 6 $7.99 2,850 3,252
2. Maxim 6 3.99 5,406 5,874
3. Playboy 6 4.99 3,138 2,844
4. Stuff 6 3.99 2,850 —
5. Barron’s 26 3.50 2,600 3,328
6. Men’s Health 5 3.79 2,235 2,085
7. FHM 5 3.50 2,270 —
8. Official Playstation Magazine 6 7.99 990 1,140
9. The Source 6 2.99 2,190 2,130
10. National Geographic 6 3.95 1,398 1,518
11. Low Rider 6 4.50 1,194 1,170
12. PC World 6 5.99 876 972
13. USA Today Baseball 26 1.25 4,082 4,264
14. PC Gamer 6 7.99 636 726
15. Easyriders 6 6.99 720 696
16. World Wrestling Magazine 6 3.99 1,206 1,230
17. Architectural Digest 6 5.95 786 942
18. Scientific American 6 4.95 930 960
19. Business Week 25 4.95 850 950
20. Popular Mechanics 6 3.50 1,212 1,116
21. Ebony 6 2.75 1,530 1,548
22. Electronic Gaming Monthly 6 4.99 834 972
23. Athlon Football 1 5.99 685 677
24. Truckin’ 6 3.99 996 846
25. PC Magazine 12 4.99 792 1,104
26. Essence 6 2.75 1,428 1,542
27. GQ 6 3.00 1,296 1,404
28. True Story Plus 6 2.99 1,260 1,512
29. Popular Science 6 3.99 936 900
30. Vibe (f) 6 3.50 1,068 970
31. U.S. News & World Report 25 3.50 1,050 1,100
32. Flex 6 5.99 612 684
33. Golf Digest 6 3.99 912 930
34. Guitar World 6 4.95 726 738
35. Tips & Tricks (f) 6 4.99 720 1,008
36. Economist (f) 26 3.95 884 775
37. Car and Driver 6 3.99 870 936
38. Country Sampler 3 4.99 681 795
39. Fortune 13 4.99 663 806
40. Motor Trend 6 3.50 930 942
41. Dupont Registry 6 5.95 540 498
42. Road & Track 6 3.99 792 792
43. Maximum PC 6 7.99 396 396
44. Beckett Baseball Card Monthly (e) 6 3.99 780 780
45. New Yorker 22 3.50 880 968
46. Computer Shopper 6 3.99 756 1,050
47. Petersen’s 4 Wheel & Offroad 6 3.99 714 690
48. Discover 6 4.99 606 612
49. Computer Gaming World 6 7.99 348 438
50. Slam 5 4.50 615 665
TOTAL TOP 50 MAINLINE 416 $4.25 63,719 62,275
% +/- Retail Retail
Units Sales Sales
Sold 1st H 1st H
’01 ’00
1. Penthouse (12.4) $22,800 $22,764
2. Maxim (8.0) 21,624 23,496
3. Playboy 10.3 15,690 14,220
4. Stuff — 11,400 —
5. Barron’s (21.9) 9,100 11,648
6. Men’s Health 7.2 8,471 7,298
7. FHM — 7,945 —
8. Official Playstation Magazine (13.2) 7,920 9,120
9. The Source 2.8 6,570 6,390
10. National Geographic (7.9) 5,592 6,072
11. Low Rider 2.1 5,373 4,973
12. PC World (9.9) 5,256 5,832
13. USA Today Baseball (4.3) 5,103 5,330
14. PC Gamer (12.4) 5,088 5,808
15. Easyriders 3.4 5,040 4,872
16. World Wrestling Magazine (2.0) 4,824 4,920
17. Architectural Digest (16.6) 4,716 4,710
18. Scientific American (3.1) 4,650 4,800
19. Business Week (10.5) 4,250 3,800
20. Popular Mechanics 8.6 4,242 3,348
21. Ebony (1.2) 4,208 3,483
22. Electronic Gaming Monthly (14.2) 4,170 4,860
23. Athlon Football 1.2 4,110 4,062
24. Truckin’ 17.7 3,984 3,384
25. PC Magazine (28.3) 3,960 5,520
26. Essence (7.4) 3,927 4,241
27. GQ (7.7) 3,888 4,212
28. True Story Plus (16.7) 3,780 4,536
29. Popular Science 4.0 3,744 3,600
30. Vibe (f) 10.1 3,738 2,910
31. U.S. News & World Report (4.5) 3,675 3,850
32. Flex (10.5) 3,672 4,104
33. Golf Digest (1.9) 3,648 3,720
34. Guitar World (1.6) 3,630 3,690
35. Tips & Tricks (f) (28.6) 3,600 5,040
36. Economist (f) 14.1 3,536 3,100
37. Car and Driver (7.1) 3,480 3,042
38. Country Sampler (13.9) 3,405 4,770
39. Fortune (17.7) 3,315 4,030
40. Motor Trend (1.3) 3,255 3,297
41. Dupont Registry 8.4 3,240 2,988
42. Road & Track — 3,168 2,712
43. Maximum PC — 3,168 3,168
44. Beckett Baseball Card Monthly (e) — 3,120 3,120
45. New Yorker (9.0) 3,080 2,904
46. Computer Shopper (28.0) 3,024 4,200
47. Petersen’s 4 Wheel & Offroad 3.5 2,856 2,415
48. Discover (1.0) 3,030 3,060
49. Computer Gaming World (20.5) 2,784 3,504
50. Slam (7.5) 2,768 3,325
TOTAL TOP 50 MAINLINE 2.3 $270,617 $260,248
% +/-
Retail
Sales
1. Penthouse 0.2
2. Maxim (8.0)
3. Playboy 10.3
4. Stuff —
5. Barron’s (21.9)
6. Men’s Health 16.1
7. FHM —
8. Official Playstation Magazine (13.2)
9. The Source 2.8
10. National Geographic (7.9)
11. Low Rider 8.0
12. PC World (9.9)
13. USA Today Baseball (4.3)
14. PC Gamer (12.4)
15. Easyriders 3.4
16. World Wrestling Magazine (2.0)
17. Architectural Digest 0.1
18. Scientific American (3.1)
19. Business Week 11.8
20. Popular Mechanics 26.7
21. Ebony 20.8
22. Electronic Gaming Monthly (14.2)
23. Athlon Football 1.2
24. Truckin’ 17.7
25. PC Magazine (28.3)
26. Essence (7.4)
27. GQ (7.7)
28. True Story Plus (16.7)
29. Popular Science 4.0
30. Vibe (f) 28.5
31. U.S. News & World Report (4.5)
32. Flex (10.5)
33. Golf Digest (1.9)
34. Guitar World (1.6)
35. Tips & Tricks (f) (28.6)
36. Economist (f) 14.1
37. Car and Driver 14.3
38. Country Sampler (28.6)
39. Fortune (17.7)
40. Motor Trend (1.3)
41. Dupont Registry 8.4
42. Road & Track 16.8
43. Maximum PC —
44. Beckett Baseball Card Monthly (e) —
45. New Yorker 6.0
46. Computer Shopper (28.0)
47. Petersen’s 4 Wheel & Offroad 18.3
48. Discover (1.0)
49. Computer Gaming World (20.5)
50. Slam (16.8)
TOTAL TOP 50 MAINLINE 4.0
Source: ABC and BPA data. Revenue estimates based on same data.
(f)Frequency changes between 1st half ’00 and 1st half ’01:
Increases: Vibe, from 5 issues to 6; The Economist, from 25
to 26. Decrease: Tips & Tricks, from 7 to 6.
(e)Estimates included. First half 2001 data not available at
press time. Data shown is for 1st half 2000.
TOP 50 AUDITED NEWSSTAND PUBLISHERS BY RETAIL $ SALES First Half
2001 (000)
# Avg. Units Units
Titles Cover Sold Sold
Price 1st H 1st H
’01 ’00
1. Time Inc. (e) 30 $3.29 65,285 62,543
2. American Media 5 1.94 95,469 102,097
3. Primedia (a) 86 3.63 35,332 40,447
4. Hearst 17 3.10 40,730 34,131
5. Bauer 7 1.67 61,449 55,625
6. Cond’e Nast 21 3.60 25,846 28,811
7. TV Guide 1 1.99 32,084 43,966
8. G+J 9 2.41 21,165 26,434
9. Hachette 17 2.36 21,361 21,908
10. Meredith 11 3.91 10,642 9,588
SUB TOTAL TOP 10 204 $2.58 409,363 425,550
11. Dennis 2 3.99 8,256 5,874
12. Weider 8 4.26 6,677 5,964
13. Ziff Davis 11 5.76 4,932 6,912
14. Wenner 3 3.27 8,520 8,541
15. Penthouse Comm. 1 7.99 2,850 3,252
16. Rodale 8 3.24 6,147 6,320
17. Playboy 1 4.99 3,138 2,844
18. Reader’s Digest Assoc. 7 2.63 5,641 5,540
19. Newsweek 2 3.95 3,676 4,145
20. Imagine 7 7.02 1,903 2,348
21. Martha Stewart Living Omni. 1 4.75 2,412 1,835
22. Sterling MacFadden 5 3.25 2,802 3,012
23. Dow Jones/Barron’s 1 3.50 2,600 3,328
24. Johnson 2 1.71 4,955 4,873
25. EMAP (FHM) 1 3.50 2,270 —
SUB TOTAL TOP 25 264 $2.78 476,142 492,571
26. Disney 5 3.78 2,077 2,233
27. Paisano 2 6.14 1,266 1,486
28. Street & Smith (e) 6 4.86 1,516 1,300
29. World Wrestling Federation 2 3.99 1,830 2,094
30. Ed Televisa 5 2.34 3,142 2,990
31. Hi-Torque 4 4.57 1,548 1,542
32. Taunton 4 6.54 1,050 990
33. National Geographic Society 3 3.99 1,695 1,879
34. The Source 1 2.99 2,190 2,130
35. Pillsbury 1 3.50 1,866 2,382
36. Emmis 6 4.50 1,365 1,521
37. Miller 5 3.48 1,710 1,759
38. Harris 2 4.29 1,371 1,134
39. IDG 2 5.72 1,020 1,076
40. Athlon 2 5.99 890 880
41. McGraw-Hill (a) 2 4.78 1,090 1,280
42. Beckett (e) 2 3.99 1,290 1,722
43. Gannett/USA Tod. Baseball 1 1.25 4,082 4,264
44. Associated Pubs. 2 3.89 1,218 1,222
45. Scientific American 1 4.95 930 960
46. Essence 2 2.74 1,512 1,776
47. Kalmbach 4 4.69 816 858
48. U.S. News 1 3.50 1,050 1,100
49. LFP, Inc./Tips & Tricks 1 4.99 720 1,008
50. The Economist 1 3.95 884 775
TOTAL TOP 50 331 $2.85 514,270 530,699
% +/- Retail Retail
Units Sales Sales
Sold 1st H 1st H
’01 ’00
1. Time Inc. (e) 4.4 $214,523 $202,994
2. American Media (6.5) 185,501 176,995
3. Primedia (a) (12.6) 128,252 133,960
4. Hearst 19.3 126,060 99,108
5. Bauer 10.5 102,363 87,241
6. Conde Nast (10.3) 92,963 100,718
7. TV Guide (27.0) 63,847 78,699
8. G+J (19.9) 51,052 57,437
9. Hachette (2.5) 50,477 48,017
10. Meredith 11.0 41,962 35,992
SUB TOTAL TOP 10 (3.8) $1,057,000 $1,021,161
11. Dennis 40.6 33,024 23,496
12. Weider 12.0 28,453 25,788
13. Ziff Davis (28.6) 28.410 38,886
14. Wenner (0.2) 27,840 26,108
15. Penthouse Comm. (12.4) 22,800 22,764
16. Rodale (2.7) 19,911 19,445
17. Playboy 10.3 15,690 14,220
18. Reader’s Digest Assoc. 1.8 14,817 14,660
19. Newsweek (11.3) 14,704 14,578
20. Imagine (19.0) 13,362 16,054
21. Martha Stewart Living Omni. 31.4 11,457 8,258
22. Sterling MacFadden (7.0) 9,108 9,768
23. Dow Jones/Barron’s (21.9) 9,100 11,648
24. Johnson 1.7 8,489 7,639
25. EMAP (FHM) — 7,945 —
SUB TOTAL TOP 25 (3.3) $1,322,110 $1,282,482
26. Disney (7.0) 7,853 8,009
27. Paisano (14.8) 7,770 8,746
28. Street & Smith (e) 16.6 7,367 6,167
29. World Wrestling Federation (12.6) 7,320 8,376
30. Ed Televisa 5.1 7,352 6,572
31. Hi-Torque 0.4 7,074 6,996
32. Taunton 6.1 6,834 6,450
33. National Geographic Society (9.8) 6,780 7,516
34. The Source 2.8 6,570 6,390
35. Pillsbury (21.7) 6,531 8,337
36. Emmis (10.3) 6,141 7,524
37. Miller (2.8) 5,946 5,484
38. Harris 20.9 5,888 5,076
39. IDG (5.2) 5,832 6,248
40. Athlon 1.1 5,340 5,280
41. McGraw-Hill (a) (14.8) 5,210 5,120
42. Beckett (e) (25.1) 5,160 6,888
43. Gannett/USA Tod. Baseball (4.3) 5,103 5,330
44. Associated Pubs. (0.3) 4,737 4,775
45. Scientific American (3.1) 4,650 4,800
46. Essence (14.9) 4,137 4,829
47. Kalmbach (4.9) 3,828 3,861
48. U.S. News (4.5) 3,675 3,850
49. LFP, Inc./Tips & Tricks (28.6) 3,600 5,040
50. The Economist 14.1 3,536 3,100
TOTAL TOP 50 (3.1) $1,466,344 $1,425,237
% +/-
Retail
Sales
1. Time Inc. (e) 5.7
2. American Media 4.8
3. Primedia (a) (4.3)
4. Hearst 27.2
5. Bauer 17.3
6. Conde Nast (7.7)
7. TV Guide (18.9)
8. G+J (11.1)
9. Hachette 5.1
10. Meredith 16.6
SUB TOTAL TOP 10 3.5
11. Dennis 40.6
12. Weider 10.3
13. Ziff Davis (26.9)
14. Wenner 6.6
15. Penthouse Comm. 0.2
16. Rodale 2.4
17. Playboy 10.3
18. Reader’s Digest Assoc. 1.1
19. Newsweek 0.9
20. Imagine (16.8)
21. Martha Stewart Living Omni. 38.7
22. Sterling MacFadden (6.8)
23. Dow Jones/Barron’s (21.9)
24. Johnson 11.1
25. EMAP (FHM) —
SUB TOTAL TOP 25 3.1
26. Disney (1.9)
27. Paisano (11.2)
28. Street & Smith (e) 19.5
29. World Wrestling Federation (12.6)
30. Ed Televisa 11.9
31. Hi-Torque 1.1
32. Taunton 6.0
33. National Geographic Society (9.8)
34. The Source 2.8
35. Pillsbury (21.7)
36. Emmis (18.4)
37. Miller 8.4
38. Harris 16.0
39. IDG (6.7)
40. Athlon 1.1
41. McGraw-Hill (a) 1.8
42. Beckett (e) (25.1)
43. Gannett/USA Tod. Baseball (4.3)
44. Associated Pubs. (0.8)
45. Scientific American (3.1)
46. Essence (14.3)
47. Kalmbach (0.9)
48. U.S. News (4.5)
49. LFP, Inc./Tips & Tricks (28.6)
50. The Economist 14.1
TOTAL TOP 50 2.9
Source: ABC and BPA data. Revenue estimates based on some data.
(a)Acquisition: Primedia data includes the EMAP USA titles, with
the exception of FHM (still to be owned by EMAP Metro). McGraw-Hill
includes Entrepreneur Magazine.
(e)Estimates included. First half 2001 data not available at press
time for SI for Kids (Time Inc.); Street & Smith’s College Football,
College Basketball, Pro Basketball and Pro Football; and Beckett
Baseball Card Monthly and Football Card Monthly. Data shown are for
1st half 2000.
COPYRIGHT 2001 Copyright by Media Central Inc., A PRIMEDIA Company. All rights reserved.
COPYRIGHT 2003 Gale Group
