Circulation at US magazines falls 2.2 per cent in second half; newsstand sales slip 9.1 per cent

U.S. consumers showed less willingness to spend money for magazines at newsstands and other retail outlets as single-copy sales fell more than nine per cent in the second half of 2009. One positive sign: the drop in newsstand sales was not as severe as in the first half of 2009, when publishers saw a year-over-year decline of 12 per cent, according to figures released Monday by the Audit Bureau of Circulations. Still, the figures are troubling for the magazine industry as the weak economy continues to put a damper on spending and consumers have plenty of free reading options available online.