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The managing director of Emap Consumer Media thinks that the new Zoo editor and former FHM man Anthony Noguera, plus the launch of Zoo on the international stage, as well as the magazine's brand extensions will all help Zoo top the UK table.

"Our ambition is to be market leader," said Mistry. The ECM boss said there were plans for brand extensions across mobile and the internet.

Despite Mistry's plans, Zoo will have a long way to go before beating Nuts in the UK.

Nuts became the first UK men's weekly to break the 300,000 sales mark and extended its lead over Zoo, moving from a lead of 35,244 to 44,434. However, Zoo reported a year-on-year growth of 30.1%.

Publishing director of Nuts, Eric Fuller, said: "We have utterly reinforced our market leadership over Zoo."

Fuller defended Nuts' position on price promoting editions, a tactic the IPC title has used more than Zoo. "Over the ABC period, we did four cut-price issues out of 26 and Zoo did two," he said.

However, Fuller insisted the marketing spend for both groups was fairly even. "Zoo has spent more on TV advertising than we did. The amount we have invested in cutting price is the same they have spent on TV."

He added: "Even four out of 26 is only 15%. That's a pretty modest level of cut price promotion. We think it is a valid method of marketing, because you get fantastic sampling."

IPC Ignite managing director Tim Brooks said: "What surprises me about discussions on price is that it is all about the relationship between publishing and retail and it's about our relationship with our readers."

He added: "In other areas of life, price is important and we are a high street brand."

This is the third set of ABC results for Nuts and Zoo and while titles such as Emap's FHM, Highbury's Front and Dennis Publishing's Bizarre have been hit, the men's sector is up marginally overall.

Emap's Mistry added: "I think the weeklies have dramatically grown the market and will continue to do so. The monthlies have had to change."

Nuts' Fuller is not sure whether the weeklies have had any dramatic effect on the monthlies.

"If you look at the numbers the impact has been very, very restrained," he said.