MagNet, the U.S.-based data clearing house, has just released it’s 2016 First Half Newsstand Sales Overview.
Sales in Canada are reported to be down by 9.8%, with dollar volume down 4.7%.
Sales in the USA are reported to be down 10.9%, with dollar volume down 6.5%.
The overall average cover price is now $5.55, up from $5.28 last year, which is according to MagNet “due to a change in the mix of titles that consumers are purchasing…fewer lower cover priced celebrity and tabloid titles and more higher priced specials.”
The MagNet report also offered some positive news: “Many titles are doing quite well on the newsstand. In fact, in the first ½ of 2016, there were 136 titles that released at least four issues this year, and the same number of releases last year, that grew both their unit and dollar sales. Collectively, their sales were up 8.7% in units and 11.5% in dollars.
Magnet reports that “Titles in the Food/Wine, General Interest, Game/Puzzle/Crossword, Entertainment, Recreation, Lifestyle and Science categories, collectively had an increase in unit sales of 3% and an increase in dollar sales of 10%. Titles in the Celebrity and Women’s categories generated 36.4% of newsstand sales in the first half, but dropped 14.3% in units and nearly 12% in dollars compared to same period in 2015.”
An interesting side note is contained in the chart that shows how each of the National Distributors are doing so far in the First Half of 2016. Our Canadian distributors are doing quite well. Disticor’s sales are reported to be up 5.4% in units and 6.6% in dollars. And Coast to Coast is reported to be up 16.2% in units and 25.1% in dollars. That’s impressive when compared to all the U.S. distributors.
Coast to Coast CEO Glenn Morgan had this to say when asked to comment: “CTC is very pleased to be experiencing continued growth as a National Distributor in today’s challenging newsstand marketplace. We are very fortunate to be regularly launching new product from both existing CTC publisher clients, as well as some exciting recent client additions to our roster. Both CTC and its client publishers greatly appreciate the support received from both the wholesalers and retailers in Canada and the USA”.
Magnet also shared a list of just some of the 136 titles that posted gains. It is interesting to see that Playboy (now with no nudes) posted an increase of 17.8% in units, and 30.8% in dollars.
