ABC National Newspaper Round-Up – July 2002

The latest figures from ABC for National Newspaper circulation show that during July there was not a great deal of change in overall circulation of newspapers, but despite the run-up to the ‘silly season’ and the end of the World Cup, month on month circulation was up 1%.

The worst fall in percentage terms was seen at Sport First which saw sales fall 18.1% month on month, having experienced a similar blow to its circulation in June. Fellow sporting title the Racing Post also saw a 6.6% drop, while strong contender in the weekend market, the Sunday Times, saw a 6.4% fall, representing a month on month decline in bulk sales of over 91,000.

At the other end of the scale, unusually, it was the Northern & Shell portfolio showing positive signs. The Daily Star, which consistently seems to be proving itself recently, saw a month on month jump of 9.4% to over 735,000, but more surprising good news came from the Sunday Express, which managed a 10.6% increase to come tantalisingly close to the million mark again, at 989,296. The Daily Express also put in a respectable 5.4% increase month on month.

Quality Market

Overall the Quality Market saw no year on year change in total circulation. In fact the majority of titles in this category saw a fall in circulation for the period, but this was counteracted to a large extent by a 47.3% increase in the circulation of the revamped financial title The Business and a 34,596 increase in circulation for the Sunday Times.

The heaviest falls were also among the Sunday papers. At the Independent on Sunday circulation dropped 6.3%, while the Sunday Telegraph lost 2.9% or over 23,000 from its circulation in a year on year analysis.

Mid-Market

The mid market saw its circulation as a whole drop 1.4% year on year for the six month period to July, with falls seen across all titles. Worst hit was the Daily Express, which dropped 3.2% or over 30,000 to 930,000, but even the leading title in the mid market, the Daily Mail sustained a loss, of 0.7% or 16,873.

Popular Market

During the six month period, the largest loss of circulation was concentrated in the popular market. The market as a whole saw a drop of 2.2% in circulation, led by Sport First, which dropped over a quarter of its bulk sales year on year. Both the Mirror titles also suffered- the Daily Mirror to the tune of 86,990 in the wrong direction, a loss of almost 4% leaving it at 2.1 million and the Sunday Mirror, which dropped 4.9% or more than 91,000.

A better performance was seen at the Daily Star, which appears to be going from strength to strength. It saw a 13.9% increase, representing almost 82,000 copies and taking its total to well over 670,00.

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