The increased focus on stay-at-home activities started in 2020 due to the pandemic and various lockdowns and has continued into 2021. But this is not the only area of growth, there has also been an increased interest for wellness and outdoor activities.
Categories where reading has increased the most during 2021 across all markets:
1) Running, Cycling & Fitness (32%)
2) Home & Renovation (30%)
3) TV film & Cinema (26%)
4) Cars & Motoring (26%)
5) Travel & Regional (25%)
Unsurprisingly cooking is a category that has done well over the last two years, with more people staying home and making meals for themselves.
The number of bookmarked pages in magazines has increased by 46% during the year, and most of these are cooking recipes. By taking a closer look at the pages with most bookmarks it seems that there is collective interest in easy comfort food, particularly one pot recipes. Some examples of the most bookmarked recipes:
• In the UK: One-pot prawn & lentil curry
• In Germany: Potato Farmer Pan
• In Australia: One-pan greek lemon chicken & rice
Chris Couchman, Head of Content at Readly commented: "Maybe the pandemic has caused us to crave hearty and cosy meals that can be enjoyed by the whole family. Readers have definitely found comfort in these recipes and cooking has strengthened its position as the number one indoor entertainment."
Here is the snapshot of magazine reading trends in the UK:
• British readers have read 21 million issues
• 10% of all titles read by UK users are foreign titles
• 22% of all titles read by UK users are back issues
• 6 pm on Thursdays is the most popular time to read magazines
• The most read category among Brits is Celebrity & Entertainment.