A familiar rival is threatening the livelihood of independent news traders, according to the latest magazine circulation figures.

Five of the top 10 most distributed magazines are supermarkets' in-house titles, the Audit Bureau of Circulations' figures for the first six months of the year reveal.

Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury's and Morrisons all claim readerships of more than one million. The top three circulation titles, Sky Magazine, Sky Movies Magazine and Sky Sports Magazine are also not sold through newsagents.

Of the magazines available to independents, only TV Choice and What's on TV made the top 10.

Total magazine circulations saw a small rise over the period, but a 12-month dip. The women's lifestyle and fashion sector registered growth of 14.6% year on year, while news and current affairs titles also posted strong results. Home interest titles collectively saw a year-on-year rise of 2.9%, but the male lifestyle market fell 3.8%.

Among the biggest losers was OK!, which lost a fifth of its circulation between January and June, while rival New! recorded a 44% year-on-year rise.