OPINION: Is the men’s magazine market looking up?

Last week News International announced it would be launching a glossy upmarket magazine for men with the News of the World. The first issue of the monthly title, which will include men’s fashion and grooming, in-depth features, and sections on gadgets, fitness, food, music and film, will be included in the News of the World from 6 March.

The Sunday title’s launch follows the publisher of free title Shortlist producing a free, twice-yearly men’s fashion glossy from March, and the potential national launch of Gaz7etta – a title for style conscious men in their 30s – from Bauer Media, which the publisher is currently trialling with its sister title Grazia.

This recent spate of activity aimed at ‘intelligent men’ suggests publishers have identified a way of reigniting the men’s lifestyle sector, which has been dominated by lads’ mags since the nineties and has been in freefall for several consecutive ABC periods. And the release of the consumer magazine ABC figures for the second half of last year will, undoubtedly, show another decline for the sector’s circulations.

With News International claiming that the new title will fill a gap in the market alongside Esquire and GQ, it seems confident the monthly will be well received. Hopefully for independent retailers, News International is right and it will not only boost sales of the News of the World, but draw men back to lifestyle magazines again.