Mail on Sunday sales shine in gloomy ABCs

by John Reynolds, Media Week 12-Feb-08, 10:12

LONDON - The Mail on Sunday’s recent revamp is showing signs of success after it posted the biggest year-on-year circulation increase among Sunday newspapers in January.

In an otherwise disappointing month for Sunday papers, the title, which was relaunched into two sections at the start of the year, recorded a year-on-year circulation rise of 1.2%, from 2,303,472 in January last year to 2,330,366 this year, according to the latest ABC figures.

The paper outstripped the mid-market and Sunday market altogether, where combined circulation fell by 3.7% year on year.

The only two other Sunday titles to record year-on-year circulation increases were the Daily Star Sunday and The Observer. Circulation for News International-owned titles The Sunday Times and the News of the World each fell by more than 4%, while The People, Sunday Sport and Sunday Express each saw their circulations slump by more than 10%.

While most Sunday papers recorded a circulation lift in January after a typically quiet December, The Mail on Sunday’s month-on-month circulation jumped by 5.5%, comparing favourably against its mid-market rival the Sunday Express, which increased by 3.98%.

Across the daily market, The Sun’s circulation fell 0.25% year on year to 3,209,776, though it outperformed its red-top rivals, which fell on average by 1.5%. The market-leading tabloid is persevering with its price cut in London and the South East.