Magazine Sales Down in 2011

From Publishing Executive:

Newsstand sales show a sharp decline in 2011 compared to the year before, according to preliminary data released Friday by magazine retail sales information provider MagNet.

Numbers derived from MagNet's retailer point-of-sale (POS) analysis show fourth quarter 2011 U.S. sales of non-weekly product at $517.8 million, down 9.2 percent from the same period in 2010. Sales for weekly product were down 11.9 percent, to $226.5 million. Overall sales declined 10.1 percent, to $744.3 million.

Looking at 2011 vs. 2010 as a whole, non-weekly product in the U.S. saw an 8.7 percent decline, to $2.19 billion. Weekly product declined 11.9 percent, to $987 million, while overall sales declined 9.7 percent, to $3.179 billion from $3.52 billion the year before.

In a statement released with the numbers, MagNet reports evidence of non-weekly sales leveling off in the late fourth quarter of 2011 and first few weeks of 2012, compared to the same period a year earlier.

MagNet also said print media performed well last year in the wake of significant events such as the royal wedding and death of Osama Bin Laden. "Producing quality product, wholesalers and distributors ensured that copies were distributed to the retail locations in a timely manner, and sales responded," the statement read.

Final 2011 numbers will be released later this month.