The latest ABC Magazine Sales Figures released for July – December 2021 indicate most of the 250-plus UK consumer magazine titles audited by the organisation lost circulation in 2021. But once again, the BEANO has bucked the downward trend, its average sales higher than they have been for a decade – and the Press Gazette notes primary and pre-school magazines remain one of the strongest performing sectors.

The 2021January to June headline sales for BEANO was an average 54,800 per issue, including 900 “free copies” distributed through the NHS. Between July and December, the reported average figure increased to 58,083 which, as well as included another 900 NHS handouts, included an averaging of the many thousands of free copies given out during the October school half term in several major UK cities. When these free half term copies are removed from the circulation numbers, the July to December numbers still remain higher than the January to June numbers.

That’s up to an average 54,800 weekly sale from 45,644 in the last six months of last year, figures now higher than its sales back in 2010, when they were averaging just over 40,000 a week.

Subscription sales of the title are still on the rise, but the shop bought copies have noticeably jumped as pandemic restrictions eased – albeit still around half the subs copies.

Also among the winners are Redan’s Peppa Pig Bag-o-Fun, with a modest rise, Frozen, most of the LEGO tie-in titles, including LEGO Super Hero Legends, and MEGA, but other long-running titles, such as CBeebies, saw a sales decline.

Panini UK restructured its superhero comics line late last year, cancelling Marvel Essentials and X-Men. Sales figures for its realtively new The Amazing Spider-Man title have not been released.

Tom Bureau, Executive chairman of Immediate Media, publishers of a wide range of younger reader titles remains positive about sales, telling Press Gazette, “The strong performance across our print portfolio, both on the newsstand and on subscriptions, combined with double-digit growth in our digital business and the return of our live events last year, has helped us celebrate our 10th anniversary in style, with our best-ever financial results.”

The Caveats

As always, it should be noted the ABCs provide some guidance of the overall health (or lack of it) for news stand distribution, many comics and titles aimed at younger readers are not ABC registered, including 2000AD, Commando, and swathes of titles published by smaller companies like Kennedy and Signature.

Two titles no longer ABC registered of interest to downthetubes readers are Doctor Who Magazine (with last reported average sales of over 16,000 in 2020) and VIZ (an average 42,722 per issue, also in 2020).

This makes it difficult to analyse UK news stand trends in detail, unless you’re an active publisher, working with a distributor, who have access to Electronic Point of Sale data.

ABC regularly releases data for the UK media industry to use when trading print, digital and event advertising, but many comics and magazines aimed at teenagers and younger readers no longer run advertisements and, over the years, companies have chosen to no longer register their titles.

• View our spreadsheet of ABC figures here (2006 – 2021)

• PLEASE NOTE these are AVERAGE sales for each title per issue, including subscription and digital sales. Some individual issues – boosted by promotion, or free copies, mainly – may sell in excess of the average figure listed

• Press Gazette – Magazine ABCs for 2021: Full breakdown of UK print and digital circulation

• Press Gazette: News and current affairs mag ABCs: Growing Private Eye keeps top spot

• If you are having trouble finding your favourite title in a newsagent, there are a number of online servise offering both single issue sales and their own subscription services

• Magazine Heaven: www.magazineheaven.com

• Newsstand.co.uk: www.newsstand.co.uk

British Publisher Web Sites

• DC Thomson Media (see also BEANO) • Egmont UK •  Immediate Media • Kennedy Publishing • Panini Comics UK • The Phoenix Comic • Rebellion (2000AD) • Redan Publishing• Signature Publishing • Titan Magazines | LCD Publishing does not have an active web site

Wit thanks to Jeremy Briggs for additional sales analysis on BEANO

Current UK Children’s and Teen Titles – February 2022

A “snapshot” of titles on sale this week aimed at children and teenagers available through independent newsagents, WHSmith and some supermarkets. Not all these titles are “comics” in the traditional sense, such as 2000AD, BEANO and Phoenix, – titles dominated by strip over features, as was the case now some decades past.

This list is via the National Title File which provides publication information to newsagents and distributors – and the publications are listed in the categories they set. It should also be noted that the NTF list sometimes still includes some “legacy” titles no longer published, and does not include a quarterly or other low frequency title if not currently on sale.

Teenage Comics

2000AD
Amazing Spider-Man
Batman Guardian of the Night
Commando
Eternals Movie Special
Judge Dredd Megazine
Marvel Essentials
Marvel Select
Otaku
Pony World
SHIFT
Star Wars High Republic
X Men

Teenage Entertainment

Doctor Who Magazine

Teenage Lifestyle

Shout

Primary Boys

110% Gaming
Action Combat
Action GTX
Beano
Britannica Magazine
Dino Friends
Dinosaur Action
Dinosaur Attack
Footy
Get Bus
Horrible Histories
It’s Time For…
Lego City
Lego Giant Series
Lego Ninjago
Lego Star Wars
Lego Superhero Legends
Mega
Pokemon
Princess Lucky Surprise
Simpsons Comics
Spider-Man Magazine
Transformers – Robots In Disguise
WWE Kids

Primary Girls

Absolutely
Angelina
Animal Friends
Animals And You
Art Draw And Create
Barbie
Barbie Stickerzine
Beautiful Mermaid
Colour It
Crazy For…
Cuddles Baby Animals
Cute
Cute Special
Disney Princess
Disney Princess Create Collection
Fairy Princess
Favourite Friends
Frozen
Girl
Girl Talk
Hairdorables
Hatchimals
Hello Kitty Magazine
I Love Unicorns
Jacqueline Wilson
Katie
Lego Disney Princess
Lego Friends
Lol Surprise
Love From
Mia And Me
Miraculous
My Beautiful Princess
My Little Pony
Num Noms
Party Girl
Peppa Pig Colouring Set
Pets 2 Collect
Pikmi Pops Surprise
Pink
Polly Pocket
Pony Friends
Princess Colouring Time
Princess Friends
Princess Storytime
Princess World
Puppy Love
Rainbow Princess Colouring
Shimmer Shine
Shopkins
So Magical
Sparkle World
Spirit Riding Free
Star Girl
Totally
Trolls
Ultimate
Unicorn Universe
We Love

Children’s Magazines – Pre-Teen

100 Percent Wow
Activity Fun
Activity Series
Animal Planet
Berugby
Cocoa
Colouring Heaven Junior
Extinct
Factology
Farm Alm For Kids
First News
Go Girl
Go Girl
HATC
Kick Extra
Kraze
Lego Explorer
Lego Special Edition
Minecraft World
MLP Equestrian Girls
National Geographic Kids
Operation Ouch
Phoenix
Scoop
Top Of The Pops
Toxic

Pre-School Titles

321 Go
Adventures With…
Andy’s Amazing Adventures
Baby Shark
Barney
Ben Holly’s Little Kingdom
Blaze Monster Machines
Blippi Magazine
Bluey
Bob The Builder
Box Of Bing
Busy Time
Cbeebies
Cbeebies Art
Cbeebies Special Gift
Charlie & Lola
Cocomelon
Cuddles
Dino Fun
Disney Stars
Everything
Fantastic Funworld
Fireman Sam
Frozen Funtime
Fun To Learn – Hey Duggee
Fun To Learn Bag Of Fun
Fun To Learn Bing
Fun To Learn Favourites
Fun To Learn Friends
Fun To Learn Paddington
Fun To Learn Peppa Pig
Get Busy Special
Gigantosaurus
Giggly
Go Jetters
Imagine
Let’s Play
Made By Giggly
Milkshake
Mr Tumble Something Special
My Favourite Fairytales
Numberblocks
Octonauts
Okido
Paw Patrol
Paw Patrol Extra
Peppa Pig Bag O Fun
Peter Rabbit
PJ Masks
Playtime
Rescue Bots
Ryan’s World
Super Wings
Swashbuckle
Tellytime Favourites
Thomas And Friends
WCW Ai Ffrindiau
Wild Wheels

Current Part Works

2000AD Ultimate Collection
DC Comic Legends Batman Special
DC Comic Heroes and Villains
Deadpool Graphic Novels Collection
Disney Cross Stitch Nation
Disney My Little Library
Disney Doll House
Marvel Legendary Collection
Peter Rabbit Patchwork Quilt
Ultimate Graphic Novel Collection
Ultimate Graphic Novel Collection – Relaunch

• View our spreadsheet of ABC figures here (2006 – 2021)

• If you are having trouble finding your favourite title in a newsagent, there are a number of online servise offering both single issue sales and their own subscription services

• Magazine Heaven: www.magazineheaven.com

• Newsstand.co.uk: www.newsstand.co.uk

• DC Thomson Media (see also BEANO) • Egmont UK •  Immediate Media • Kennedy Publishing • Panini Comics UK • The Phoenix Comic • Rebellion (2000AD) • Redan Publishing• Signature Publishing • Titan Magazines | LCD Publishing does not have an active web site

Wit thanks to Jeremy Briggs for additional sales analysis on BEANO

John Freeman

The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.

He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.

Categories: 2000AD, British Comics, Comics, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News

Tags: ABC sales figures, Beano, Doctor Who Magazine, Immediate Media, LEGO Super Hero Legends, Peppa Pig Bag-o-Fun, WHSmith