Marie Claire UK ceases print edition after 31 years to focus on affiliate platform
Marie Claire UK is to shutter its print edition after 31 years, joining the throng of magazines who have gone digital-only.
The last print issue of the UK magazine will be the November 2019 edition / Marie Clarie
The TI Media-owned title will continue its coverage online, where it claims to draw in 2 million monthly readers already. It will also pump investment into its affiliate-supported shopping platform The Marie Claire Edit; a fashion aggregator which lets customers search 6000 brands. TI claimed the Edit will become its "biggest source of digital revenue".
The last print issue of the UK magazine will be the November 2019 edition. Overseas print editions will be unaffected.
TI has entered into consultation with the approximately 35 members of staff affected by the closure, it has been reported.
“For more than three decades, Marie Claire UK has led the conversation on the issues that really matter to women – from campaigning for women’s empowerment to climate change – while providing a premium fashion & beauty positioning that reflects their everyday lives," said Marcus Rich, chief exec of TI Media (formerly Time Inc).
"With full focus on our digital platforms, we will be future-proofing our ability to report on these vital and engaging subjects, alongside our top-ranking fashion and beauty offering and media-first brand extensions, The Edit and Fabled by Marie Claire."
In June, the fashion retailer Next bought the online premium beauty and wellbeing retailer Fabled, a joint venture between Marie Claire and Ocado.
Marie Claire UK has also become a trailblazer in the retail space, with the launch of its premium beauty store Fabled by Marie Claire and Fabled.com followed by the recent announcement of the acquisition of Fabled by Marie Claire by Next Plc.
In 2016, Marie Clarie UK launched premium beauty store Fabled as joint venture with Ocado. The e-commerce platform was snapped up by retailer Next in June for £8m, with Rich saying it was a good example of how TI media could extend its "unrivalled content and expertise" into the digital space.
"There is enormous potential for us to drive our ongoing transformation through growing our digital business quickly and it will continue to be a key focus for us," he added.
The most recent ABC figures for Marie Claire's print run, published for the last six months of 2018, show that the magazine had an average circulation of 120,000 a month; although 35% of those copies were given away for free.
UK women's glossies and men's magazines have been making the pivot from print to digital in their droves. Among them: Glamour, which announced plans to cut its print frequency from monthly to just twice a year in 2017; Shortlist, which has also turned its attention to affiliate marketing deals; and NME which has been reaping the rewards of life after print having dialled up its focus on opinion pieces and long reads.