Nearly half the UK's regional daily newspapers lost print sales at a rate of more than 10 per cent year on year in the first half of 2013.
Trinity Mirror's Paisley Daily Express was the only title to buck the trend on print sales, growing circulation by 9.9 per cent year on year to an average of 7,567 a day. It was partly helped by a price cut compared with the same period last year, selling for 30p a day rather than 45p.
Some 34 out of 70 UK regional daily titles audited by ABC lost sales at a rate of more than 10 per cent year on year. The biggest fallers were: The Argus in Brighton (down 25.8 per cent to 16,622), the East Anglian Daily Times (down 21.2 per cent to 22,652) and the Sheffield Star (down 20 per cent to 28,072).
The Wolverhampton-based Express and Star continues to be the UK's best-selling regional daily, with average sales down 9.6 per cent year on year to 90,612, followed by the Liverpool Echo and then the partly free Manchester Evening News.
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Total average per-issue sales for the 70 daily titles audited by ABC dropped from 2,045,74 in the first half of 2012 to 1,910,821 in the first half of this year. The average rate of circulation decline was 10.5 per cent.
Meanwhile website readership is growing sharply for most titles according to digital figures also released today by ABC.
UK regional daily newspaper sales for the first half of 2013 (source ABC)
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| Title | Avg sale | % paid for | Price | Change y/y |
| Express & Star (West Midlands) | 90,612 | 91.2% | £0.45 | -9.6% |
| Liverpool Echo | 74,984 | 100.0% | £0.55 | -7.2% |
| Manchester Evening News | 73,622 | 64.7% | £0.55 | -6.8% |
| Aberdeen – Press & Journal | 65,482 | 99.2% | £0.60 | -4.6% |
| Dundee Courier & Advertiser | 52,348 | 99.5% | £0.60 | -6.9% |
| Belfast Telegraph | 49,228 | 77.2% | £0.70 | -8.6% |
| Norwich – Eastern Daily Press | 47,231 | 99.7% | £0.70 | -11.3% |
| The Chronicle | 43,308 | 100.0% | £0.50 | -12.0% |
| Shropshire Star | 43,097 | 100.0% | £0.45 | -13.4% |
| The Sentinel | 41,898 | 100.0% | £0.45 | -7.6% |
| The Herald | 41,030 | 100.0% | £1.10 | N/A |
| Irish News – Morning | 40,842 | 99.4% | £0.70 | -3.0% |
| Birmingham Mail | 40,280 | 86.6% | £0.50 | -4.7% |
| Leicester Mercury | 40,172 | 99.0% | £0.45 | -11.6% |
| Glasgow – Evening Times | 39,234 | 100.0% | £0.55 | -14.6% |
| Aberdeen – Evening Express | 38,409 | 99.7% | £0.50 | -10.8% |
| Hull Daily Mail | 38,309 | 100.0% | £0.48 | -7.1% |
| Darlington – The Northern Echo | 35,196 | 100.0% | £0.65 | -8.5% |
| Leeds – Yorkshire Post | 34,175 | 96.0% | £0.70 | -9.7% |
| South Wales Evening Post | 33,479 | 98.2% | £0.48 | -8.6% |
| Teesside – Evening Gazette | 33,013 | 100.0% | £0.50 | -10.7% |
| The Scotsman | 31,326 | 92.1% | £1.10 | N/A |
| The News – Portsmouth | 30,570 | 100.0% | £0.60 | -17.9% |
| Edinburgh – Evening News | 30,176 | 98.3% | £0.60 | -15.3% |
| The Post | 29,475 | 97.1% | £0.50 | -10.7% |
| Leeds – Yorkshire Evening Post | 28,946 | 100.0% | £0.65 | -14.4% |
| Daily Post (Wales) | 28,331 | 100.0% | £0.55 | -7.4% |
| Sheffield Star & Green 'Un | 28,072 | 100.0% | £0.65 | -20.0% |
| Coventry Telegraph | 27,712 | 92.9% | £0.50 | -10.8% |
| Cardiff – South Wales Echo | 27,700 | 100.0% | £0.55 | -8.2% |
| Nottingham Post | 27,086 | 99.7% | £0.50 | -11.6% |
| Southampton – Southern Daily Echo | 26,846 | 100.0% | £0.55 | -10.4% |
| Southend – Basildon – Castle Point – Echo | 26,705 | 100.0% | £0.65 | -8.3% |
| Sunderland Echo & Football Echo | 24,994 | 100.0% | £0.60 | -14.9% |
| Wales – The Western Mail | 23,723 | 94.6% | £0.70 | -6.7% |
| Ipswich – East Anglian Daily Times | 22,652 | 99.9% | £0.65 | -21.2% |
| York – The Press | 22,057 | 100.0% | £0.55 | -9.3% |
| Bournemouth – The Daily Echo | 22,007 | 100.0% | £0.65 | -11.4% |
| Bradford – Telegraph & Argus | 21,641 | 100.0% | £0.55 | -10.4% |
| Newcastle-Upon-Tyne Journal | 20,875 | 100.0% | £0.65 | -10.4% |
| Ulster – News Letter | 20,755 | 99.3% | £0.85 | -6.5% |
| Dundee Evening Telegraph | 20,734 | 99.8% | £0.45 | -7.8% |
| South Wales Argus – Evening | 19,748 | 100.0% | £0.45 | -7.9% |
| Cambridge News | 18,586 | 83.3% | £0.55 | -3.9% |
| Lancashire Telegraph – Blackburn | 18,293 | 100.0% | £0.65 | -12.3% |
| Huddersfield Daily Examiner | 17,704 | 100.0% | £0.55 | -6.7% |
| Lancashire Evening Post | 17,212 | 100.0% | £0.65 | -15.5% |
| The Bolton News | 17,199 | 100.0% | £0.65 | -12.9% |
| Jersey Evening Post | 17,076 | 97.9% | £0.50 | -4.7% |
| The Argus Brighton | 16,622 | 100.0% | £0.65 | -25.8% |
| Oxford Mail | 16,569 | 100.0% | £0.45 | -5.6% |
| The Gazette – Blackpool | 16,524 | 100.0% | £0.60 | -13.9% |
| Swindon Advertiser | 15,506 | 100.0% | £0.45 | -7.9% |
| Dorset Echo | 15,195 | 100.0% | £0.50 | -6.9% |
| Ipswich Star | 15,084 | 68.7% | £0.60 | -18.2% |
| Guernsey Press & Star | 14,448 | 92.2% | £0.50 | -3.8% |
| The Leader (Wrexham, Flintshire & Chester) | 14,322 | 100.0% | £0.50 | -6.5% |
| Norwich – Evening News | 12,947 | 100.0% | £0.55 | -17.8% |
| Colchester – Daily Gazette | 12,889 | 100.0% | £0.65 | -15.5% |
| South Shields – Shields Gazette | 12,004 | 100.0% | £0.60 | -12.5% |
| Worcester News | 11,922 | 100.0% | £0.45 | -10.4% |
| Barrow – North West Evening Mail | 11,739 | 100.0% | £0.50 | -8.9% |
| Oldham Evening Chronicle | 11,045 | 100.0% | £0.60 | -14.0% |
| Burton Mail | 10,785 | 99.5% | £0.50 | -7.1% |
| Hartlepool Mail | 10,521 | 100.0% | £0.60 | -17.7% |
| Carlisle – News and Star East | 10,162 | 100.0% | £0.55 | -9.8% |
| Paisley Daily Express | 7,567 | 100.0% | £0.30 | 9.9% |
| Wigan Evening Post | 5,446 | 100.0% | £0.55 | -12.3% |
| Carlisle – News and Star West | 3,933 | 100.0% | £0.55 | -8.6% |
| Doncaster Star | 1,441 | 100.0% | £0.65 | -25.4% |
Daily titles listed by year on year change
| Title | Avg sale | Chg y/y |
| The Argus Brighton | 16,622 | -25.8% |
| Doncaster Star | 1,441 | -25.4% |
| Ipswich – East Anglian Daily Times | 22,652 | -21.2% |
| Sheffield Star & Green 'Un | 28,072 | -20.0% |
| Ipswich Star | 15,084 | -18.2% |
| The News – Portsmouth | 30,570 | -17.9% |
| Norwich – Evening News | 12,947 | -17.8% |
| Hartlepool Mail | 10,521 | -17.7% |
| Lancashire Evening Post | 17,212 | -15.5% |
| Colchester – Daily Gazette | 12,889 | -15.5% |
| Edinburgh – Evening News | 30,176 | -15.3% |
| Sunderland Echo & Football Echo | 24,994 | -14.9% |
| Glasgow – Evening Times | 39,234 | -14.6% |
| Leeds – Yorkshire Evening Post | 28,946 | -14.4% |
| Oldham Evening Chronicle | 11,045 | -14.0% |
| The Gazette – Blackpool | 16,524 | -13.9% |
| Shropshire Star | 43,097 | -13.4% |
| The Bolton News | 17,199 | -12.9% |
| South Shields – Shields Gazette | 12,004 | -12.5% |
| Lancashire Telegraph – Blackburn | 18,293 | -12.3% |
| Wigan Evening Post | 5,446 | -12.3% |
| The Chronicle | 43,308 | -12.0% |
| Leicester Mercury | 40,172 | -11.6% |
| Nottingham Post | 27,086 | -11.6% |
| Bournemouth – The Daily Echo | 22,007 | -11.4% |
| Norwich – Eastern Daily Press | 47,231 | -11.3% |
| Aberdeen – Evening Express | 38,409 | -10.8% |
| Coventry Telegraph | 27,712 | -10.8% |
| Teesside – Evening Gazette | 33,013 | -10.7% |
| The Post | 29,475 | -10.7% |
| Southampton – Southern Daily Echo | 26,846 | -10.4% |
| Bradford – Telegraph & Argus | 21,641 | -10.4% |
| Newcastle-Upon-Tyne Journal | 20,875 | -10.4% |
| Worcester News | 11,922 | -10.4% |
| Carlisle – News and Star East | 10,162 | -9.8% |
| Leeds – Yorkshire Post | 34,175 | -9.7% |
| Express & Star (West Midlands) | 90,612 | -9.6% |
| York – The Press | 22,057 | -9.3% |
| Barrow – North West Evening Mail | 11,739 | -8.9% |
| Belfast Telegraph | 49,228 | -8.6% |
| South Wales Evening Post | 33,479 | -8.6% |
| Carlisle – News and Star West | 3,933 | -8.6% |
| Darlington – The Northern Echo | 35,196 | -8.5% |
| Southend – Basildon Echo | 26,705 | -8.3% |
| Cardiff – South Wales Echo | 27,700 | -8.2% |
| South Wales Argus – Evening | 19,748 | -7.9% |
| Swindon Advertiser | 15,506 | -7.9% |
| Dundee Evening Telegraph | 20,734 | -7.8% |
| The Sentinel | 41,898 | -7.6% |
| Daily Post (Wales) | 28,331 | -7.4% |
| Liverpool Echo | 74,984 | -7.2% |
| Hull Daily Mail | 38,309 | -7.1% |
| Burton Mail | 10,785 | -7.1% |
| Dundee Courier & Advertiser | 52,348 | -6.9% |
| Dorset Echo | 15,195 | -6.9% |
| Manchester Evening News | 73,622 | -6.8% |
| Wales – The Western Mail | 23,723 | -6.7% |
| Huddersfield Daily Examiner | 17,704 | -6.7% |
| Ulster – News Letter | 20,755 | -6.5% |
| The Leader (Wrexham, Flintshire & Chester) | 14,322 | -6.5% |
| Oxford Mail | 16,569 | -5.6% |
| Birmingham Mail | 40,280 | -4.7% |
| Jersey Evening Post | 17,076 | -4.7% |
| Aberdeen – Press & Journal | 65,482 | -4.6% |
| Cambridge News | 18,586 | -3.9% |
| Guernsey Press & Star | 14,448 | -3.8% |
| Irish News – Morning | 40,842 | -3.0% |
| Paisley Daily Express | 7,567 | 9.9% |
| The Herald | 41,030 | N/A |
| The Scotsman | 31,326 | N/A |
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