Take a Break's Puzzle titles buck the downward trend

Both of H Bauer's top-selling mixed puzzle magazines bucked the trend of the puzzles category and monthly magazines in general by recording significant increases in their 2007 ABC figure.

Take a Puzzle, the original prize puzzle magazine, achieved a 10.0% increase over the previous year to stand at 107, 264, whilst the traditional mixed puzzle title, Puzzle Selection rose by 7.5% to 93,434.

Publishing director, Spike Figgett states; 'The growth in the two mixed titles is a reflection of the unceasing effort made by the respective editorial teams to ensure that their readers get the best quality and most innovative puzzles and prizes available in the UK market. Allied to this is an on-going commitment to the titles at retail both in the independent and multiple sectors and significant investment in Puzzle Selection in particular with its move to four colour printing in May 2007.'

Spike Figgett continues:

'I think what we might also be seeing is a drift away by the readership from the essentially repetitive and ultimately limited appeal of Sudokus back to the more traditional word-based content which previously dominated the market. If this proves to be the case, H Bauer is in pole position to exploit the trend with its magazines' emphasis on quality, human-originated content. The computers are being beaten!'

Take a Crossword, H Bauer's other audited puzzle title, recorded a small decline of 1.8 % to stand at 133,604 but remains the UK's second highest-selling puzzle magazine.

About H Bauer: H Bauer Puzzle titles are part of the H Bauer Publishing portfolio, Bauer is the largest privately owned publisher in Europe, publishing in countries including Germany, France, Spain, Portugal and the United Kingdom.

The Bauer Publishing Group was founded in Hamburg 1875 by Johann Bauer. It is a worldwide publishing empire comprising over 238 magazines in 15 countries, as well as TV and radio stations.

For further information or images please contact Julia Toni on: 020 7241 8013 or look on the Bauer website at www.bauer.co.uk

For Bauer consumer media press releases contact Sarah Ewing on: 0207 859 8411 or look on the website at www.baueradvertising.co.uk