Industry News

ABCs: UK Daily newspaper circulation review – Sept. 2009

Richard Desmond’s Daily Star continues its circulation increase for the eleventh successive month, recording an 18% year-on-year rise, according to the latest Audit Bureau of Circulations figures recently released.

The Northern and Shell owned tabloid was the only UK daily national newspaper to show a year-on-year increase in September, posting 863,559 copies, up 18.06%.

The red-top title was down 2.62% month-on-month, but remains the best performing daily newspaper for almost a year.

In the qualities market, the Independent recorded the biggest year-on-year fall in circulation by 15.6% to 186,490 average copy sales in September. This came after Independent News & Media’s decision to increase the titles cover price to £1.

Guardian News & Media also decided to increase its price to £1 and its title, The Guardian, posted 314,963 a 9.72% drop year-on-year.

News International’s quality title The Times suffered a double-digit circulation fall in September, to record 571,506 copies, a loss of 10.43% from 2008.

While, Pearson's Financial Times posted the smallest loss in the quality sector, down 4.85% year-on-year to 408,544 and the Daily Telegraph dropped 5.81% to 801,782 copies.

In the mid-market, Associated Newspapers’ title the Daily Mail and Northern & Shell’s Daily Express both dropped 3.65% compared with last year.

The Daily Mail recorded 2,159,931 while the Daily Express sold 712,023 on average through September.

Following last month’s newspaper sales increases in Scotland, the leading titles all experienced losses in September.

Trinity Mirror’s Daily Record, posted a 10.44% fall to 341,101 copies, while The Herald recorded 57,031 copies, down 9.61% and The Scotsman 47,564 copies, a loss of 6.98% year-on-year.

News International’s leading daily title, the Sun, dropped circulation by 2.39% year-on-year to record 3,079,451 copies, while the Daily Mirror recorded 1,306,394 copies on average, dropping 9.32% from last September.