Persistent, anaemic economic growth continues to constrict all spend on recreation and culture, especially for lower income consumers. Female readers, the bedrock of the magazine industry, will be especially hard hit by government austerity measures, which will begin to bite in 2013

Smartphone and tablet ownership amongst wealthier consumers has already impacted their spend on magazines. The industry can expect further shocks as mobile device penetration grows among older and also lower income demographics

New publishing platforms pose familiar challenges: publishers must compete with new online players from very different sectors; complexity and rapid change are a constant; historically low print magazine subscription volumes make the transition for publishers to data strategies and to develop flexible charging models more demanding than might otherwise be the case