in the magazine's editorial focus away from the rigor of Roger's style to a more flamboyant, celebrity style format. Sales were disappointing and a period of decline followed. The magazine was relaunched as a large format glossy title while led by Nicola Legat, a long-time contributing journalist. The changes were intended to reverse the decline of sales and readership. At its peak, Metro sold 40,000 copies, but this had fallen to less than 20,000. During this period the society scandal column Felicity Ferret was dropped from Metros pages. The Ferret briefly returned to the pages of Metro in 2009. In 2005, Legat left the magazine to join publishing company Random House. She was replaced by Lauren Quaintance, a former North and South writer, who oversaw a 5 per cent increase in circulation. Quaintance left in June 2007 to return to the Sydney Morning Herald and the long-serving deputy Bevan Rapson was appointed acting editor. A makeover in 2009 saw Metro changed to a smaller size, and the incorporation of Citymix magazine within its pages. In mid-2010, Rapson was replaced as editor by Simon Wilson, a Metro senior writer and former editor of Cuisine and Consumer, the magazine published by the Consumers' Institute of New Zealand. In 2010, Wilson oversaw a 25 per cent increase in Metro's readership, according to Nielsen Media Research. In August 2015 Susannah Walker became the editor of the magazine, replacing Simon Wilson in the post. In early April 2020, the Bauer Media Group closed down Metro and several of its New Zealand operations in response to the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand. On 17 June 2020, Sydney investment firm Mercury Capital purchased Metro as part of its acquisition of Bauer Media's New Zealand and Australian media assets. On 17 July, Mercury Capital confirmed that it would be selling Metro to the independent publisher Simon Chesterman. AwardsMetro'' won a number of 2010 Qantas Media Awards: Best Magazine Feature Writer: Simon Wilson Best Magazine Designer: Charlie McKay Senior Magazine Feature Writer (Politics):Simon Wilson Senior Magazine Feature Writer (Arts & Entertainment): Simon Wilson References External links 1981 establishments in New Zealand Lifestyle magazines Local interest magazines Magazines established in 1981 Mass media in Auckland Magazines published in New Zealand Monthly magazines published in New Zealand