January ABCs: Observer up 21 per cent following relaunch to 542,000 sales

Dominic Ponsford

Official circulation figures for January show the Observer’s Berliner-size relaunch to have been a massive success – boosting sales by more than 20 per cent year-on-year.

It is a far more impressive start than the Guardian enjoyed back in October when it changed sizes. Time will tell whether it is the new format the readers love or the massive promotional activity associated with the launch.

The 542,075 circulation total for January is the paper’s highest since it was bought by Guardian Media Group in 1993 and compares with 430,403 for the previous month.

The Observer’s Berliner relaunch took place on January 8, meaning the ABC figure represents a full month of sales in the new format. There were no Sunday papers on January 1.

The Independent on Sunday was another major circulation winner, 16.89 per cent year-on-year to 241,414, helped by a successful language learning CD promotion.

Content from our partners

Free journalism awards for journalists under 30: Deadline today

UK national newspapers circulation for January 2006

	Current month	Last Month	mth/mth	Last Year	Yr/Yr
	Jan 06	Dec 05	+/- %	Jan 05	+/- %

National morning popular
Daily Mirror	1,727,672	1,678,997	2.90	1,748,327	-1.18
Daily Record	451,932	438,652	3.03	471,708	-4.19
Daily Star	820,070	779,556	5.20	861,825	-4.84
The Sun	3,319,337	3,119,757	6.40	3,382,509	-1.87
Total of average daily net circulation	6,319,011	6,016,962	5.02	6,464,369	-2.25

National morning mid market
Daily Express	849,001	800,403	6.07	949,238	-10.56
The Daily Mail	2,389,011	2,311,023	3.37	2,409,121	-0.83
Total of average daily net circulation	3,238,012	3,111,426	4.07	3,358,359	-3.58

National morning quality
The Daily Telegraph	917,043	897,385	2.19	920,745	-0.40
Financial Times	441,840	439,563	0.52	422,519	4.57
The Herald	76,934	74,328	3.51	80,273	-4.16
The Guardian	394,913	380,693	3.74	376,816	4.80
The Independent	258,387	250,195	3.27	257,100	0.50
The Scotsman	67,201	63,263	6.22	69,771	-3.68
The Times	685,081	661,400	3.58	686,327	-0.18
Total of average daily net circulation	2,841,399	2,766,827	2.70	2,813,551	0.99

Overall total of average daily net circulation	12,398,422	11,895,215	4.23	12,636,279	-1.88

National morning sporting
Racing Post	72,135	72,994	-1.18	73,170	-1.41

London evening
Evening Standard	337,080	321,227	4.94	350,671	-3.88

National morning group
The Daily Mirror / Daily Record	2,179,604	2,117,649	2.93	2,220,035	-1.82





National Sunday popular
Daily Star Sunday	439,067	382,231	14.87	459,933	-4.54
News of the World	3,789,176	3,509,189	7.98	3,823,317	-0.89
Sunday Mail	547,405	530,996	3.09	585,657	-6.53
Sunday Mirror	1,574,054	1,513,323	4.01	1,652,375	-4.74
The People	895,275	886,235	1.02	1,001,389	-10.60
Sunday Sport	143,506	139,489	2.88	156,558	-8.34
Total of average Sunday net circulation	7,388,483	6,961,463	6.13	7,679,229	-3.79

National Sunday mid market
Sunday Express	877,101	809,041	8.41	976,055	-10.14
The Mail on Sunday	2,404,511	2,215,765	8.52	2,446,465	-1.71
Total of average Sunday net circulation	3,281,612	3,024,806	8.49	3,422,520	-4.12

National Sunday quality
Independent on Sunday	241,414	219,040	10.21	206,527	16.89
The Observer	542,075	430,403	25.95	446,818	21.32
Scotland on Sunday	82,380	71,691	14.91	81,475	1.11
Sunday Herald	63,529	60,465	5.07	58,189	9.18
The Sunday Telegraph	682,739	642,256	6.30	692,107	-1.35
The Sunday Times	1,357,153	1,313,258	3.34	1,375,982	-1.37
Total of average Sunday net circulation	2,969,290	2,737,113	8.48	2,861,098	3.78

Overall total of average Sunday net circulation	13,639,385	12,723,382	7.20	13,962,847	-2.32