Independent News & Media Is Set To Cancel Delivery Deal

Independent News & Media looks at an alternative distribution model following plans to cancel its delivery agreements with newsagents in Northern Ireland.

The company, which owns the Independent and Independent on Sunday, said it was forced to take the step because circulation of the Belfast Telegraph has suffered owing to inadequate delivery services, according to the Financial Times.

Many newsagents will face financial difficulties and some may even be forced to close due to the move by INM, as they already struggle with competition from supermarket chains to sell newspapers.

Ivan Fallon, Independent News & Media’s UK chief excutive, said: “Although many newsagents individually provide an excellent home delivery service, collectively the agency system is failing and is no longer sustainable.”

Fallon also suggested that the traditional paper deliveries by small shops would soon be a thing of the past, adding: “It’s just not practicable in today’s changed circumstance – I suspect you’ll see the same kind of pattern you see in the US, where subscibers are directly with the newspaper rather than with the shops.”

INM, which owns distribution company Wholesale Newspaper Services, has confirmed it will take control of the deliveries with the intention of rolling out a new model across the region.

The issue of newspaper distribution will be covered at MediaTel Group’s National Newspaper Seminar next week – for more information see our website – seminars.mediatelgroup.co.uk

Independent: www.independent.co.uk