Magazine readership shows slight decline in 2009 spring PMB study

The just-released 2009 Print Measurement Bureau results, the first to be issued on a biannual (spring/fall) schedule, show a slight decline in readership of about 4%, based on data gathered in 2007 and 2008. English Canadian magazines were down an average of 3.2% in readership; French titles 6.2%.

Average magazine readership is 1.3 million (English) and 522,000 French and a steady average readers-per-copy figure of 7.1 (English) and 6.7 (French). Total magazine circulation tracked in the study* is 21.6 million (16.6 million English, 5 million French).

Among the largest in readership were, once again, Reader's Digest with 6.6 million, followed by Canadian Living with 3.95 million, though both magazines lost more than 300,000 readers from the comparable report in 2008. Tied for third spot are Canadian Geographic and Chatelaine at 3.8 million. Canadian Geographic actually grew by 299,000 readers year over year.

Among largest French titles were qu'est-ce qui mijote (1.4 million), coup de pouce (1.3 million), Sélection du Reader's Digest (1.06 million) and 7 jours (984,000).

Two of Canada's largest English shelter magazines lost readership ground: Canadian House & Home (down 162,000 readers) and Style at Home (down 114,000). Two of the larger French shelter magazines also lost readership: Les Idées de ma Maison (down 106,000) and Décoration Chez-Soi (down 76,000).

Several new magazines joined the study this year, including Canadian Health Magazine, LouLou, Our Canada, Parents Canada and the Health Journal in English and LouLou in French.

Among the English-language magazines that enjoyed significant year-over-year increases in overall 12+ readership were (all figures in '000s):

Gain	2009	2008	Increase
Canadian Geographic	3,768	3,469	299
Movie Entertainment	1,888	1,643	245
what's cooking	3,705	3,558	147
Tribute	1,539	1,399	140
FASHION Magazine	2,028	1,891	137
EnRoute	1,078	963	115
Elle Canada	1,699	1,595	104
Today's Parent	1,866	1,802	64
Canadian Business	1,031	985	46
NOW	321	298	23
Vancouver Magazine	313	291	22

Among those English-language titles that saw a significant decrease in readership were:

Loss	2009	2008	Decrease
Style at Home	1,602	1,716	(114)
Starweek	992	1,114	(122)
Harrowsmith Country Life	772	932	(160)
Canadian House & Home	2,361	2,523	(162)
Homemakers	1,608	1,820	(212)
Canadian Gardening	1,980	2,195	(215)
Reader's Digest	6,564	6,882	(318)
Canadian Living	3,959	4,308	(349)

Among French-language titles that had significant increases in readership:

Gain	2009	2008	Increase
Touring (Fre & Eng)	1,171	1,078	93
qu'est-ce qui mijote	1,392	1,317	75
Madame	293	262	31
Star Système	343	312	31
Dernière Heure	297	279	18
Décormag	677	660	17
Summum	247	232	15

Among French magazines with significant decreases in readership:

Loss	2009	2008	Decrease
Les Affaires	271	345	(74)
Québec Science	262	338	(76)
Décoration Chez-Soi	744	822	(78)
Le Magazine Enfants Québec	223	304	(81)
La Semaine	559	643	(84)
Châtelaine (Fr)	895	985	(90)
Les Idées de ma Maison	746	852	(106)
TV 7 Jours/TV Hebdo	719	837	(118)
7 Jours	984	1,121	(137)
Primeurs	380	526	(146)

*PMB also includes major daily newspapers; for this post, only magazines were tabulated.