Tagged Project Daisy, the overhaul aims to turn around long-term sales decline by appealing to younger women than at present. The average age of Essentials readers is 39, but it is perceived as a magazine for women in their 40s.
At its 1995 peak, Essentials had monthly sales of 360,000, but now sells little more than a third of that figure. Its July to December 2004 ABC was 128,844, down 14.3% year on year.
The repositioning will pitch the title against Hachette Filipacchi's Red, Haymarket Magazines' Eve and NatMags' She.
This 'middle youth' sector has a retail sales value of £35m, according to IPC. Essentials publishing director Linda Swidenbank said the title would be differentiated by its provincial tone, rather than 'an aspirational Notting Hill tone'.
The new look will be unveiled in the July issue, which will have a pagination increase of about 36 pages, with a minimum 130 pages of editorial content.
Fashion and beauty coverage will be boosted and devoted to inexpensive high-street products. One fashion feature will feature clothes priced at £20 or less.
The handbag-sized format will be slightly bigger than Glamour. Dressmaking patterns are being dropped, but the Essentials To Go tear-out pages will be retained. Food coverage will be geared to a generation of women who say they cannot cook.
Colour-coding of editorial sections will be used to improve navigability.
IPC has not revealed the cover price, but it is likely to launch at a discount to its current £2.40 price.
_1.jpg)
.jpg)
