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Summary of our market study
The children's press market in France is estimated at €380 million.
The children's press market in France, which targets readers under 18, is holding up well against the general decline in print media consumption.
With 334 magazines and over 10 million readers, key players such as Bayard Presse/Milan, Disney Hachette Presse and Fleurus Presse dominate the sector.
Although the print media are facing declining physical sales and distribution problems, as highlighted by the bankruptcy of Presstalis in 2020, the market remains dynamic, with a wide variety of offerings, from daily to monthly publications.
Digital versions of children's magazines are also growing, particularly during the health crisis.
Subscriptions account for a significant percentage of sales.
For children's literature, the illustrated books segment accounts for 55% of sales.
New titles continue to emerge, and the market is supported by events such as the Salon du livre et de la presse jeunesse.
Market trends in the children's press sector in France
The children's press market in France continues to show resilience, against a backdrop of a general decline in print media consumption in Europe.
Despite the general downward trend in print media, with only 20% to 25% of French people reading print media on a daily basis, the country's children's press segment is proving highly resilient.
This market is aimed at young children and teenagers, and encompasses three main genres: education, entertainment and adolescence.
The children's press market is particularly strong, with over 10 million young readers representing around 65% of the population aged 1-19.
There are some 334 children's magazines on the market. In the publishing sector, this segment ranks second in terms of value, just behind literature.
Even in the digital age, where children and teenagers are known to be heavy screen users, spending between 6 and 18 hours a week on digital media, print media is holding its own. A large majority of young tablet and smartphone users, around 59%, continue to consult children's magazines on a regular basis.
The children's press market is fairly concentrated, with a few key players dominating the scene. Leading groups account for more than half of market sales, with heavyweights such as Hachette, Editis, Madrigall and Bayard.
By 2022, digital versions of children's press publications should account for around 6% of total readership.
As far as book distribution is concerned, traditional outlets are in difficulty. The sector has seen a considerable reduction in the number of newsagents, which has halved from 40,000 in the 1980s to just over 20,000 in 2022.
This contraction has led to the disappearance of Presstalis, France's leading press distributor.
Publishing players in the children's press sector
- The Bayard/Milan group is a leading entity in the children's press market, exerting considerable influence with a wide range of publications tailored to different age groups. Their portfolio contains an impressive assortment of educational, entertaining and teen-oriented content.
- Disney Hachette Presse (DHP)/FleurusPresse is another major player in the sector, bringing with it the power of Disney characters and stories. The merger with Fleurus Presse brings additional expertise and variety to their offerings, creating a multi-dimensional catalog that appeals to children's sense of wonder and adventure.
Nurturing young minds with a rich palette of publications
- Mondadori Magazines France provides niche offerings that cater to specific interests within the children's demographic, focusing on the curiosity of young minds looking to explore the world through print.
- Société Alsacienne de Publications and Éditions Dupuis bring local expertise and a traditional touch to the market, offering publications that not only entertain but also transmit regional values and learning opportunities to readers, fostering a sense of community and national pride.
- Éditions Faton occupies a unique place in giving children an insight into history and culture, while Éditions Jibéna & Cie and Enrick B. Éditions add diversity to the mix, contributing to the supply of more innovative and less conventional reading material.
- Presses d'Ile de France, Gallimard Jeunesse, Flammarion Jeunesse and Hachette Jeunesse each offer a treasure trove of literary creations, from timeless classics to contemporary tales.
- Belin éditeur adds an educational dimension with works that often bridge the gap between learning and leisure.
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Summary and extracts
1 Market overview
1.1 Market overview and definition
The children's press market covers all print titles aimed at an audience under 18 years of age. It can be segmented by age category: children's magazines (0-6 years), children's magazines (6-9 years), junior magazines (8+ years) and teenagers' magazines (12+ years). The children's press boasts a wide variety of publications in three main genres: educational, entertaining and adolescent.
The children's press market in France is largely dominated by three national leaders: Bayard Presse/Milan, Disney Hachette Presse and Fleurus Presse.
There are currently 334 children's magazines, with over 10 million readers . While this figure may seem substantial, according to the ACPM, the print media market is in constant decline. The sharp decline in physical sales of newspapers and magazines, marked by a 50% drop in readership between 2010 and 2023 , therefore appears to be structural, and the market threatened by the population's disinterest in print media in favor of digital information and entertainment.
However, one exception is the children's press, which seems to be holding up rather well in the face of the problems shaking up the world of print media. Indeed, the sector is recording 28% growth between 2015 and 2023.
Historically, the first periodical for young people in France, Le Journal d'Éducation, was published in July 1768. The children's press developed in the second half of the 19th century, then evolved in the 20th century with technical progress and, in particular, the advent of images. In 1934, Le Journal de Mickey was published, still considered the oldest French children's magazine in existence.
1.2 A general decline in print media consumption in Europe
According to a survey conducted by the European Commission on media habits in the European Union (***) in ****, **% of Europeans claim to read the written press on a daily basis, down * percentage points on ****. [***]
This is part of a gradual decline in the consumption of written press in Europe: according to the ...
1.3 The children's press, a "French cultural exception
The children's press in France is as powerful as ever
In ****, **% of *-** year-olds claimed to be readers[***]. More specifically, according to the Syndicat des Éditeurs de la Presse Magazine, in ****, of the **.* million children aged *-** in France, **% of them read children's magazines, i.e. over ** million readers.
This is ...
2 Demand analysis
2.1 A readership segmented by age group
There are over ** million readers of children's magazines, or **% of children aged * to **.
Young people regularly read children's magazines, especially children aged * to *. According to Ipsos MediaCT's Junior Connect' **** barometric study, a benchmark survey of young people under ** and their relationship with the media, nearlydias, nearly **% of children aged *-* regularly ...
2.2 Young people continue to read regularly, despite hyperconnection
Conducted online among *,*** children and young people under the age of **, the Junior Connect' study by Ipsos MediaCT shows that young people's hyperconnectedness does not prevent them from continuing to read.
The study shows that **-** year-olds spend an average of ** hours a week on their screens, compared with * hours for ...
2.3 Young children and teenagers maintain a high average reading time
On the one hand, the time spent reading children's magazines according to age shows a particular attraction for early childhood, and a solid interest in young people in general.
Long reading times for all youth segments France, ****, in minutes Source: ****
On average, a child spends more than * hours a week reading ...
2.4 The children's press maintains strong ties with its readers
Young people discover the children's press at an early age: **% of *-* year -olds and **% of *-** year -olds read at least one children's magazine a year. And they often attach great importance to it: **% of young people look forward to reading their magazine, and **% of them read it in one ...
3 Market structure
3.1 A relatively concentrated market
The children's publishing sector is no exception to the phenomenon of concentration affecting the entire publishing industry. While the Ricochet-Jeunes website lists *** children's publishers, * main groups account for over **% of market sales[***]:
The Hachette group (***) ; Editis group (***) ; Madrigall group (***) ; Bayard group (***)
Added to these are medium-sized publishers such as Fleurus Presse, ...
3.2 Production in paper format
There has been a general decline in sales of print media in France, as shown by the graph below on the evolution of non-digital Diffusion France Payée (***) for the mainstream press.
Evolution of paid circulation in France for mainstream print media France, ****-****, in % Source: ****
Between **** and ****, circulation of the ...
3.3 Digital support replaces paper format
Share of online newspaper and magazine readers France, ****-****, in % Source: ****
This graph shows that, while its growth is unstable, the share of children and teenagers reading their magazine via its digital version is growing strongly . While the digital version of children's magazines represented just *.**% and *.**% respectively of total paid circulation ...
3.4 Traditional distribution suffering
Until July ****, there were two major companies sharing the press distribution market in France:
Source: ****
Presstalis recorded an operating deficit of ** million euros in ****on July *, ****, the Paris Commercial Court placed the distribution company in compulsory liquidation. France Messagerie was then created and took over part of its assets[***].
The judicial ...
4 Offer analysis
4.1 A wide variety of offers from daily to monthly
Panorama of the leading children's dailies
Source: ****
Overview of the leading weekly and fortnightly children's magazines
Source: ****
Overview of the main monthly magazines or higher periodicals in the children's press
Source: ****
New titles continue to appear every year
Although some titles are very old, such as Le Journal de Mickey, first ...
4.2 France's most popular children's books and magazines
Market share of different children's press segments by volume France, ****, in Source: GfK **** players in the teen press have lost relative market share, and we can see the recomposition of this market with Julie magazine overtaking Vocable Anglais. Market share of the different youth press segments in value terms France, ****, in Source: ...
4.3 Prices vary according to store type
If you look at the main headlines displayed on the sitePressedeFrance in ****, we can see that the average unit price of the few best-selling issues by age category is *.**€. Prices range from €* for Le Monde des ados to €**.** for Animeland.
Consumer prices vary significantly according to the type of distribution (***).
Source: ...
4.4 The digital trend, or how the children's press is resisting screens
The children's press, a cultural specificity
The sector can count on flagship titles and timeless bestsellers, such as J'aime lire, Petit Ours Brun and Super Picsou Géant. [***]
The strength of subscription offers
TheSyndicat des Éditeurs de la Presse Magazine indicates that **% of children's press sales are by subscription, compared with ...
5 Regulations
5.1 Specific regulations that differ from other publishing sectors
In France, two laws regulate the distribution of children's publications.
The law of July **, **** on publications aimed at young people, amended by article ** of the decree of December **, **** and by the law of January *, ****.
Article *:" The publications referred to in Article * must not include any illustration, story, chronicle, column or insert ...
6 Positioning the players
6.1 Segmentation
- Bayard Presse Groupe
- Unique Heritage Media- DHP
- Alsacienne de Publications L'Alsace
- Éditions Dupuis (Media Participations)
- Éditions Faton
- Enrick B. Editions
- Les Presses d’Ile de France
- Gallimard Jeunesse (Madrigall Groupe)
- Flammarion
- Hachette Jeunesse
- Belin Education (Humensis)
- Presstalis
- Les Messageries lyonnaises de presse
- Éditions Jibéna & Cie
- Reworld Media
- Lunii
- Editis
- Editions Albert René (Hachette Groupe)
- Atelier Imaginaire
List of charts presented in this market study
- Percentage of the population reading the written press every day or almost every day
- Percentage of the population reading the written press every day or almost every day, by country
- Frequency of print media reading, by age
- Paid circulation of children's and teen magazines in France
- Percentage of children and adolescents who have read at least one children's magazine title
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Latest news
Bayard Jeunesse modernizes its digital platform - 01/07/2024
- - Bayard Jeunesse: France's leading publisher of children's magazines, with a total monthly readership of 7 million, including "Pomme d'Api" and "J'aime lire".
- - BayaM platform content: 3,000 items of content, mainly from the Bayard Jeunesse catalog and Milan, another of the group's publishing houses.
- - 26% of content is video, algorithm-free and ad-free, curated entirely by an editorial team.
- - Subscriber target: 100,000 subscribers within a year, compared with 40,000 for the previous application.
- - Digital revenues: Target of 20 million euros on an annual basis, compared with 12 million euros in 2022-23.
- - Other Bayard Jeunesse digital offerings: "La Maternelle Montessori" educational app, News-O-Matic, digital news media for North American 7-12 year-olds.
Jean-Sébastien Decaux buys Terre Sauvage and Alpes Magazine from Bayard - 20/06/2024
- Date the magazines were founded - "Terre Sauvage": 1986 - "Alpes Magazine": 1990
- - 9 permanent employees
- - Around 50 contributors
- - Cumulative net circulation around 30,000 newsstand copies
- - Less than 20,000 subscriptions
After a long slumber, Gaston Lagaffe is back in comics - 22/11/2023
- More than a quarter century after the publication of his last album, Gaston Lagaffe is back in bookshops.
- 800,000 copies of the new album "Le retour de Lagaffe" have been printed by Editions Dupuis (part of the Média-Participations group).
- The 21 volumes of Gaston Lagaffe have sold over 30 million units worldwide.
- The Média-Participations group has reissued and reprinted older Gaston Lagaffe albums.
- The task of relaunching Gaston Lagaffe was entrusted to cartoonist Marc Delafontaine.
Asterix, Hachette's cash machine - 26/10/2023
- The 40th album in the Asterix saga comes out this Thursday with a print run of 5 million copies, of which over 2 million are destined for France and over 1 million for Germany.
- Total sales of Asterix approach 400 million copies, a volume unmatched in French publishing.
- The Asterix franchise was acquired by Hachette in the late 2000s
- Since 2013, Hachette has opted for a release every two years.
- Since 2013, each new album has sold between 1.69 million and 1.83 million units in France. And even 2.3 million if you include all albums sold through all sales channels and export sales.
- The very first Asterix album, "Asterix the Gaul", published in 1961, still sells 40,000 copies a year in France.
- The Asterix license generates royalties through various adaptations into video games, Playmobil, films, series and more.
- Alain Chabat's film "Mission Cléopâtre" was a box-office hit, with almost 15 million tickets sold in France. He is currently working on an animated series for Netflix.
Asterix back in bookstores: crazy figures for a cult comic strip - 26/10/2023
- 40 volumes of Asterix have been published since the Gallic warrior first appeared in 1959.
- 5 million copies are printed per adventure, including 2 million for the French-speaking market.
- Asterix has been translated into 117 languages
- Around 1,750,000 copies of each new album were sold in France in the year of release.
- The remaining 250,000 copies in French were sold in Belgium and Switzerland.
- A total of 393 million copies of Asterix have been sold, making it the world's best-selling comic book (excluding manga).
- 41 million of these albums were sold in France and French-speaking countries.
Bayard Group moves to Malakoff - 28/09/2023
- The Bayard Group has been in business for 150 years.
- It has 1,700 employees in France and around the world, 900 of whom are about to relocate.
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