Former National Magazine Company titles She and Cosmopolitan Bride are to close with immediate effect following NatMag's merger with Hachette Filipacchi which was completed this week.
The two publishers have combined to form Hearst Magazines UK. The move follows NatMag owner Hearst's acquisition of Hachette Filipacchi owner Lagardere in a £574m deal.
Hearst Magazines said the decision to close the two titles was prompted by "fierce" compeition in the sectors they operate in.
She magazine, which launched 56 years ago, achieved a fairly robust circulation performance in the last six months of the 2010 - dropping 3.7 per cent year on year to 144,583 copies a month. Describing itself as an "intelligent" read for women who juggle their lives, it may be that following the acquisition of Hachette titles Hearst felt it had too many brands in this sector.
Cosmopolitan Bride is fourth biggest bridal magazine in the UK and marked an average net circulation of 37,690 in December. It is thought Hearst Magazines UK will blend the content from its stablemate You and Your Wedding, the National Magazines title that recorded an ABC of 48,664 in December.
Meribeth Parker, group publishing director of Hearst Magazines UK, says the decision to close the titles was taken to ensure the company is as “robust and adaptable as possible for the future”.
She adds: “As a business that believes strongly in the future of print, it is never an easy decision to close a magazine. However we are taking this decisive action now to strengthen our overall portfolio, focusing our investment on our stronger titles and digital expansion.”
Competition in the women’s lifestyle sector has “never been fiercer” and Hearst Magazines UK felt the need to close the magazines to adapt to this trend, she says.
Hearst Magazines UK was formed earlier this week (1 Aug), when Hearst US finalised a $651m deal with Lagardère to buy its international division, which included Hachette Filipachhi in the UK.
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