A 10p rise on the price of the weekday Sun, giving retailers an extra 2.32p per copy sold, has been warmly welcomed by the National Federation of Retail Newsagents (NFRN).
But the delight of NFRN independent newsagents has been “dampened” by news that despite a substantial increase in the price of the Sunday Times to £2.50, retailers will receive less than a penny extra as terms have been reduced from 23.5% to just 21%.
From Monday (2 July), the cover price of the Sun in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland will increase to 40p. As News International has confirmed that margins will be maintained at 23.2%, retailers will now receive 9.28p per copy.
But while the price of the Sunday Times rises by 30p from Sunday 8 July, retailers will get just 0.8p extra per copy, receiving 52.5p instead of 58.75p.
Alan Smith, National president of NFRN, said: “This is great news for Sun retailers as a price rise on the weekday edition is long overdue and we are pleased that News International is treating newsagents fairly in maintaining retail terms.
“There is a dark cloud over the Sunday Times which has, in effect, robbed retailers of 2% of their margin. Making the situation even worse is the fact that many Sunday Times newsagents actively promote the title by providing a home news delivery service to News International’s most loyal readers. For such retailers the move is a real kick in the teeth.”
Source: NFRN
