Newsstand Showdown: Mags With Top Circulation Marks

Year-Ago Change: -6.2% The best-selling magazine in the U.S. continues to be the young women’s guide to sex tips, relationship advice and celebrity gossip. Published by the Hearst Corp., Cosmo’s March issue features “Step It Up,” a guide for what’s hot this season in footwear. Brands given a mention include Chinese Laundry, Nine West and Jessica Simpson.

Year-Ago Change: 3.04% A spin-off of the “People” page of Time, this magazine is the reader’s destination for celebrity news, stories and photos. By-product People Style Watch’s March issue includes a section on great finds under $100 for the spring, including footwear folk Guess and Geox.

Year-Ago Change: -6.71% Targeted to the family-oriented working woman, this supermarket weekly offers readers practical solutions for work and home. Woman’s World held the title of the most popular newsstand magazine in 2004, when it sold more than 77 million copies.

Year-Ago Change: -7.8% Formerly known as “First for Woman,” this Bauer Publishing mag is aimed at everyday women who are interested in such topics as fitness, healthy, beauty, home and cooking. First also focuses on inspirational stories.

Year-Ago Change: -32.05% In Touch offers readers their news, star-studded. Its drop in circulation (the biggest in the top 10) fits right in with The New York Times’ report last month that many gossip titles recorded double-digit declines in circulation in the second half of 2008 compared with a year ago. Who says escapism sells during hard times?

Year-Ago Change: -20.74% Founded by the New York Times Co. and now owned by Wenner Media, US Weekly covers celebrity news and style as well as the latest trends in fashion and beauty. And like its brethren in the gossip world, it saw a big drop in its circulation figures.

Year-Ago Change: -19.18% Celebrating today’s family, Family Circle provides practical information for moms and their brood. The magazine sponsors the annual Family Circle Cup, the only Tier 1 clay court Women’s Tennis Association tournament in the U.S., held in the Family Circle Magazine Stadium in Charleston, S.C.

Year-Ago Change: -8.34% The fantasy football title is kicking off its 23rd season in 2009, making it the longest-running fantasy draft guide. Athlon Football is owned by Athlon Sports Communications, which publishes annual handbooks in just about every sport, including pro and college basketball, baseball, racing and golf.

Year-Ago Change: 5.75% Celebrating the private side of public figures, In Style has become a guide to the latest trends in beauty and fashion. The magazine debuted a redesign last August, to help reposition its brand portfolio. This month’s issue features “Happy Feet,” a guide to what’s hot this season in footwear including pricy picks Christian Louboutin, Jimmy Choo and Badgley Mischka.

Year-Ago Change: 9.72% Figure was founded to embrace women of all shapes and sizes. Owner Charming Shoppes Inc. (and contracted publisher Meredith Corp.) announced last month it would discontinue the magazine after its March/April issue. The state of the custom publishing business was blamed for the decision.