Guardian claws back ground as it mulls format change

by Jules Grant,, Brand Republic 08-Apr-04, 13:00

LONDON – As The Guardian ponders a format change, it has managed to claw back sales in March, posting an almost 2% increase in circulation in the latest set of ABC figures.

The broadsheet is up 1.77% to 376,287 but is suffering a 6.27% year-on-year fall.

Its main rival The Independent continues to be the rising star in this year's ABC figures, up 10.95% year on year as its tabloid launch continues to pay dividends, even if they are somewhat smaller this month, as March sees it rise 0.64% to 258,012.

As with last month, The Financial Times is the best performer out of the quality dailies. It is up 2.2% this month to 448,791 but is down 4.1% year on year.

The Daily Telegraph, which is also mulling compact launch plans, is up 1.9% to 923,042. However, with the title down 3.4% year on year, sources have suggested that it is a question of when and not if it rolls out its compact edition. Telegraph Group managing director Hugo Drayton said last month March that £8m had been put aside in case of a compact launch.

The Times' decision to go small is not having the same impact on year-on-year figures as the Indy and it is down 4.55%. This month it posted more or less flat sales figures up fractionally, 0.42%, to 658,637.

It is a different story with its Sunday sister title. The Sunday Times is up 3.67% this month to 1,395,900. The remaining quality Sundays have posted flat or decreasing figures.

The Guardian's stablemate The Observer is up 0.1% to 452,257; The Independent on Sunday is up 0.7% to 209,236; The Sunday Telegraph is up 0.2% to 697,771 while Scotland on Sunday and The Business post declines of 1.28% and 0.7% respectively to 83,952 and 282,110.

In the mid-market and tabloids, the majority of papers show declines in circulation for March with The Sun, which sacked marketing director Belinda Furneaux-Harris this week, faring particularly badly.

The Sun is down 1.89% this month to 3,333,215 while rival the Daily Mirror was up 0.3% to 1,905,528.

Over at Richard Desmond's Express Newspapers, the Daily Star is down by 0.6% to 903,702. However, the title, famous for numerous covers featuring glamour model Jordan, is up 9.7% year on year.

Desmond's Daily Express is down 2% to 942,171 and The Daily Mail is down 0.4% to 2,398,093.

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