Evening Standard Cuts Vendors In London

The Evening Standard, which has seen competition from the free afternoon papers in London over the past year, is to cut around 30 vendors from the capital’s streets.

The move would see the paper’s street sales workforce shrink by about 8%, whilst parent company Associated Newspapers is said to be calling for voluntary redundancies among drivers who ferry the afternoon paper across London.

Associated has scheduled a meeting today with vendors to discuss its plans.

However, the Standard has apparently denied it is cutting its investment in its distribution and promised it will increase investment in the autumn.

Vendor numbers change seasonally and the summer holiday period is traditionally a slow circulation month for the paid-for evening newspaper.

Those who are being axed are mobile vendors who sell the paper on foot at traffic intersections. A marginal vendor review concluded that they were inefficient.

The Standard will use results from its research when it revamps its distribution programme with the promised heavy investment.

The end of August marks the first anniversary of the London evening freesheet war, when Associated Newspapers launched London Lite days ahead of News International rival thelondonpaper (see thelondonpaper Launches And The Free Newspaper War Begins).

In August 2006, the Evening Standard recorded an ABC of 313,181, and the introduction of the two free competitors has seemingly dented the title’s sales, despite a recent marginal upturn (see thelondonpaper Increases Lead Over London Lite).

London Lite began distributing 359,389 copies, and thelondonpaper started off with 327,120 in September. Both freesheets have bolstered their figures, with thelondonpaper in the lead.

The most recent figures, for June this year, have seen the increases level out following accusations of dumping (see ABC Introduces Dumping Hotline) and issues surrounding the waste they produce on London’s streets (see Council Could Implement Tough New Freesheet Rules).

thelondonpaper now boasts a distribution of 496,504, whilst the Lite‘s is now at 388,442. Meanwhile, the Standard reports an ABC of 276,230, down from 309,908 in June 2006.

Associated Newspapers: www.associatednewspapers.com