Time Halts Cottage Living Publication

November 18, 2008  by in UnCategorized   

By Home Furnishings Business in Advertising on November 2008 Time Inc. announced Tuesday that the housing downturn has led it to shut Cottage Living magazine, which launched four years ago and reached a circulation of 1 million.

In a statement, Time Inc. Executive Vice President Sylvia Auton said, “The economic downturn has particularly affected the shelter market and while the brand was genuinely loved by readers and advertisers alike, the economy inhibited its ability to grow and therefore, sadly, we had to make the decision to close it.”

Newsstand sales fell 14 percent during the first half of the year and ad pages dropped 9.1 percent during the first nine months of 2008, officials said. About 38 jobs were cut with the closing.

Cottage Living launched in 2003 as part of a Southern Progress group that also includes Southern Living. It’s been a tough time in the shelter magazine sector. Earlier this month, Hearst Corporation announced it would cease publishing O at Home on a stand-alone basis and fold the title back into the Oprah Winfrey vehicle O Magazine. A year ago, Conde Nast closed House & Garden, which had a history dating back to 1901.