The magazine industry: Print revival

In today’s digital landscape, consumers can quickly access relevant news stories from their favourite publication within seconds using their mobile devices; likewise, anyone can set up their own publication, all they need is a Wi-Fi connection and domain name. The main advantages of digital publications are that they are free and accessible 24/7/ Although it’s easy to disregard print media, consumers do still enjoy the tradition of picking up their favourite magazine at their local newsagent. According to Technavio, the magazine publishing market is expected to grow by $3.43 million between 2021-2025 and the print segment is ‘expected to generate maximum revenue in the magazine publishing market, owing to the rising number of magazine readers.’ Fashion magazines, also known as ‘glossies’, are in extremely high demand, and are also the most saturated category in the publication market. The names leading the way in the industry are Vogue, Marie-Claire, and Elle, all of which are targeted towards females with high aspirations and a healthy salary. These magazines have retained their consumers as they continue to diversify and ensure that the content across their print and online channels are different to cater for the type of consumer.

The publishing industry as a whole has seen tremendous growth over the past few years despite the popular misconception that the book industry is being rapidly digitalised. The opposite is true – consumers are more likely to enjoy physical copies of books and magazines compared to their digital counterparts.

‘only 25% of U.S. adults read an ebook in the last year. That number is actually down from peaks at 28% in 2014 and 2016.’ - (Publishing Industry Trends in 7 Charts - Submittable Blog, 2021)

Consumers often claim that physical sensation plays a role in picking up a magazine, quoting the smell and weight of the product is so much more appealing than skimming through an article on a small screen. Many had predicted trends of this type of print being left behind as a traditional past-time but it seems the industry is as strong as ever and consumers are not getting bored of holding their favourite magazine in its entirety in the palm of their hands.