The Independent newspaper has come in for more criticism following its decision to reduce margins for retailers to 22.2% between Monday and Friday.
Last week, the paper was lambasted by the National Federation of Retail Newsagents and now the Association of News Retailing (ANR) has said that it will “squeeze” retailers’ margins, which are already slight.
It said that the retail sales value of newspapers is at present below the rate of inflation.
Managing director at the ANR said: “It’s great to see a rise in the cover price, but The Independent can’t dress up this decision by claiming that retailers will make more pennies, less margin is still less margin.”
He added that retailers are facing costs “way ahead of inflation”, with newspaper selling becoming a “less viable” way of making a living day by day.
Such a decision by the publisher will only “worsen the situation”, he remarked.
