The NFRN says: With effect from March 14, the cover price of the Saturday newspaper will rise 10p from 60p to 70p but terms will fall from 22 per cent to 21.4 per cent, to bring the paper into line with its arch rival, the Daily Mirror.
Meanwhile, the cost of the Sunday edition will increase by 20p to £1, but the percentage term the retailer receives will drop from 22 per cent to 21 per cent. Again, this means the margin is now the same as that on the Sunday Mirror and Sunday People.
NFRN National President Martyn Brown said: “With fixed cover prices, margins determined by the publisher, no choice of news wholesaler and ever increasing carriage charges, national publishers must realise that newsagents are struggling to survive by selling newspapers alone.
“Given that the Sun’s sales are going down – latest audited figures show that it sold 2,240,862 copies on Saturdays in February, a drop of 4.3 per cent on the previous month and 8.2 per cent year on year, and 1,473,264 on Sundays, down 5.9 per cent on January and 12 per cent year on year – this is a blow for news retailers who have loyally supported the title. Is it any wonder that the Sun will not be shining in NFRN members’ stores after this weekend?”
