Martha Stewart Living continues its struggles in the Canadian market in 2019. With 8 of 8 issues so far all posting losses from prior year.
- In 2018, sales were down 24%, with all 10 issues down.
- In 2017, sales were down 13%, with just 1 of 10 issues up.
- In 2016, sales were down 12%, with just 1 of 10 issues up.
- In 2015, sales were down 29%, with all 10 issues down.
- In 2014, Martha Stewart Living sold 13,820 copies per issue, and in 2018 they sold 5,653 copies per issue. So far in 2019 they are averaging 4,426 copies per issue.
It’s a very crowded category, with excellent Canadian competitors that dominate the landscape in Canada.
Contributing to the problem is a cut in dealer coverage.
- In 2018 dealers cut 16%.
- In 2017 dealers cut 19%.
- In 2016 dealers cut 1.4%
- In 2015 dealers cut 6.1%
However, covers make a big difference too.
Check out these covers from Dec 2017, Dec 2018, and Dec 2019. The 2017 (Live Wreath) cover is great, despite having the cover lines on the right instead of the left. It sold 13,075 copies at a 54% sell-through, the best issue of the year. Plus, it was up 91% or 6,842 copies more then the average of the other 9 issues that year. The 2018 (Fake Stale Cookie Wreath) sold 8,467 copies, down 35% from prior year. And I don’t hold out too much hope for the Dec 2019 cover (Charlie Brown Christmas Tree), which looks quite sparse and pathetic.
