The title’s publishers TI Media and Marie Claire Album said in a statement today (10 September) that a “digital-first future” is being pursued for the title “to best serve the changing needs of its audience’s mobile-first, fast-paced, style-rich lifestyles”.
The November 2019 issue will be the final print edition of the UK title. Marie Claire's overseas print editions, in territories including the US, Australia and France, are unaffected by the move.
The publishers said the award-winning UK title will now translate its core values of giving women a voice and championing their rights into “a digitally driven future that will continue to deliver on the brand’s clear position… with the distinct angle and authentic voice for which Marie Claire is renowned”.
Marieclaire.co.uk attracts 2 million monthly online users. The brand, which also has a large social media following, has seen quick growth for its fashion aggregator platform, Marie Claire Edit, and has also recently launched premium beauty store Fabled by Marie Claire.
TI Media chief executive Marcus Rich said: “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 and beauty positioning that reflects their everyday lives.
“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 success of Marie Claire Edit and Fabled by Marie Claire are good examples of how, at TI Media, we can extend our 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.”
The title is printed by Walstead UK, which took over as TI Media's sole print supplier after Polestar collapsed three years ago.
The new digital-first Marie Claire UK will be published under a licence agreement with Groupe Marie Claire, the brand’s publisher in France. Around 35 UK members of staff affected by the closure of the print brand are currently in consultation, according to the The Guardian.
Marie Claire UK’s most recently reported circulation figure, covering the six-month period between June and December 2018, stood at 120,133. This represented a drop of 24% year-on-year and nearly 35% of that total were copies given away for free.
