Newstand Sales of Glamour Unsightly

Image via WikipediaGlamour Magazine, Conde Nast's best-seller on newsstands, has suffered a 17 percent decline in sales over the first third of 2011, according to the WWDMedia Website.

With a $3.99 price tag, the drop-off in sales means a loss of newsstand revenue of more than $1.5 million. The Website post cited Audit Bureau of Circulations Rapid Report figures showing average sales of Glamour over the first four months of this year were 459,000, compared to 550,900 during the comparable period in 2010.

Glamour cover girls in 2011 have included actresses Reese Witherspoon, Emma Stone and Kate Winslet, along with the omnipresent Kim Kardashian. In contrast, fashion magazine Vogue experienced a 20 percent boost in newsstand sales during the first four months of 2011, but Elle's sales dropped 7 percent.

Hearst Corp. Snatches Up French Publisher's Magazines

Image via WikipediaMedia conglomerate Hearst Corp. has acquired French publisher Largardere's non-France-based magazines produced by Largardere's Hachette Filipacchi Media ("HFM") subsidiary located in Manhattan, according to The New York Post.

Hearst has been pursuing  HFM's stable of periodicals, which include Car & Driver, Road & Track, Elle and Woman's Day, for several months (see "TUOL" post 1/3/11). No word yet if HFM staffers, who work in the Time & Life Building, will face layoffs as a consequence of the Hearst acquisition.

Hearst Magazine Shopping in Paris

Image via WikipediaCar & Driver and foreign editions of Elle magazine are among the periodicals that may be joining the Hearst Corp. stable of more than 200 magazines, according to Bloomberg News.

France's largest publisher, Lagardere, is negotiating with the New York-based Hearst for a possible cash purchase of its international magazine titles, Bloomberg reports. The move would enable the French media giant to focus on its book publishing and domestic periodical holdings.

Were the sale to go forward, Lagardere would attempt to retain editorial control of Elle.  Cosmopolitan and Good Housekeeping are among the journals owned by Hearst.