Hello! Canada and Maclean's magazines, both published by Toronto-based Rogers Publishing, were among a smattering of Canadian periodicals that enjoyed solid increases in circulation in the first six months of 2010, relative to their performances in that same January-June period last year.
Overall, however, most of the more than 75 Canadian publications, English and French, reporting to the Audit Bureau of Circulations' survey released Monday experienced either decreases or stasis.
Chatelaine, another Rogers' periodical, saw its total circulation decline by 10.1 per cent, to 513,924 from 571,545, including a 24.9-per-cent plummet in single-copy sales and a 5.3-per-cent decline in subscriptions.
Similarly, Flare, Rogers' pre-eminent female fashion title, saw its total circulation fall to almost 137,000 from close to 152,000 last year, a 9.7-per-cent decline.
Hello!, by contrast, has been "boffo at the box-office" virtually from its inception in the fall of 2006. Tuesday's ABC report shows that the picture-heavy, text-light weekly enjoyed an almost 11-per-cent uptick in total circulation in the first half of 2010 relative to 2009's first half. Overall, Hello's total circulation was 120,767, with almost 74,000 of these coming from newsstand sales.
Maclean's, which is marking its 105th anniversary this year, reported a 2-per-cent growth, to just over 363,000 copies from last year's 355,054. Maclean's in recent years has been pushing its newsstand sales and it appears to be working: In the first half of the year, single-copy sales of the newsweekly averaged close to 30,000 copies per issue, a 209 per cent jump from the 9,523 reported in 2009.
According to ABC's analysis of 56 major Canadian consumer magazines, circulation overall experienced a decline of almost 5.4 per cent, to roughly 6.6-million copies in January-June this year, from slightly more than 7-million in 2009.
Total paid subscriptions also declined, by almost 5.6 per cent, to roughly 5.2-million copies. By contrast, single-copy sales - often regarded as a barometer of reader demand - experienced a modest 0.52 per cent increase, to 1,150,750 from 1,44,840.
By comparison, total circulation of U.S. magazines tracked by ABC declined by about 2.3 per cent. Newsstand sales slipped by 5.63 per cent - a modest decline relative to the 12.4 per cent drop the industry experienced in the first half of 2009 and that of 2008 - while total paid subscriptions declined by almost 2.3 per cent.
As ever, Reader's Digest English-language Canadian edition was the circulation champion among for-pay periodicals. But its total circulation declined by 15 per cent, including a 17.8 per cent drop in subscriptions, but its 723,440 overall tally still put the monthly at the top of the ABC heap.
Even with its declines, Chatelaine placed second overall, ahead of the magazine often touted as its main rival, Transcontinental's Canadian Living, whose total circulation of just over 500,000 represented a 3.2 per cent slip relative to 2009 but enough for a third-place finish overall.
Flare's lacklustre fortunes were reflected by that of other magazines in the English-language female fashion market. Fashion, published by Toronto's St. Joseph Media, "topped the charts" with a total circulation of 145,410, down just under one per cent from January-June 2009. Elle Canada's circulation dropped a modest 0.2 per cent, to 130,363.
Topping the so-called "shelter" category was Toronto-based Canadian House & Home. The monthly's average circulation for the first six months of 2010 was about 235,400 copies per issue, a 3.6 per cent increase from its 2009 tally of 227,225.
Meanwhile, the verdict appears to be out until at least early 2011 on the circulation impact of The Beaver's decision this year to change its name to Canada's History. Published six times a year, the renamed history journal made its debut with its April-May issue. According to the ABC report, the magazine experienced a 6.5 per cent decline in total circulation, to 40,906 from 43,736.