Sales of the Evening Standard dropped 11.7 per cent year on year in September to 289,254.
Such a drop would not normally be welcomed – but Standard executives have interpreted it as a victory following the launch of the two new London free newspapers: London Lite and thelondonpaper, at the beginning of September.
Editor Veronica Wadley said: “I am delighted our readers have remained loyal to the Standard. We are holding our core audience and we are reaching that vital affluent AB market that others find so difficult to reach. If you really want to know what's happening in the capital, you must get the Standard."
The Standard greeted the launch of the two frees by raising its price from 40p to 50p and bringing the first edition time forward, to include more on-the-day news.
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Associated Newspapers’ London Lite was launched on Wednesday, August 30, and was closely followed by News International’s thelondonpaper the following Monday.
According the September Audit Bureau of Circulations figures, thelondonpaper had an average free daily distribution of 327,120 and London Lite had a distribution of 359,389. While thelondonpaper is only handed out between 4.30pm and 6.30pm – London Lite has evidently benefited from having a lunch-time edition, as well as the evening one.
The Guardian recorded its first year-on-year decline in a year – up against strong figures from the Berliner launch a year ago. But although it was down 3.7 per cent year on year – a marketing bonanza including wall charts and a DVD pushed sales up 7.26 per cent month on month to 389,186.
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The Independent recorded its best sales performance for a number of months – up 0.95 per cent month on month to 265,051.
Elsewhere in the generally declining market, the Independent on Sunday and Observer stand out as strong performers.
The IoS was up 15.27 per cent year on year to 234,121 – and The Observer was up 4.48 per cent to 458,002.
Full round-up:
National morning popular
Daily Mirror: 1,633,708, down 6.2 per cent
Daily Record: 428,426, down 7.43 per cent
Daily Star: 800,569, down 6.28per cent
The Sun: 3,216,918, down 2.52 per cent
National morning mid market
Daily Express: 818,942, down 1.5 per cent
The Daily Mail: 2,410,641, up 1.55 per cent
National morning quality
The Daily Telegraph: 901,930, down 0.26 per cent
Financial Times: 432,036, down 1.48 per cent
The Herald: 71,696, down 7.04 per cent
The Guardian: 389,186, down 3.71 per cent
The Independent: 265,051, up 0.95 per cent
The Scotsman: 60,097, down 10.34 per cent
The Times: 683,333, down 2.3 per cent
London evening
Evening Standard: 289,254, down 11.74 per cent
National sporting
Racing Post: 69,615, down 7.93 per cent
National Sunday popular
Daily Star Sunday: 404,209, down 1.56 per cent
News of the World: 3,512,927, down 6.81 per cent
Sunday Mail: 528,929, down 4.49 per cent
Sunday Mirror: 1,438,829, down 6.14 per cent
The People: 822,014, down 10.14 per cent
Sunday Sport: 107,926, down 28.64 per cent
National Sunday mid market
Sunday Express: 837,662, down 2.52 per cent
The Mail on Sunday: 2,346,236, up 0.06 per cent
National Sunday quality
Independent on Sunday: 234,121, up 15.27 per cent
The Observer: 458,002, up 4.48 per cent
Scotland on Sunday: 74,410, down 10.17 per cent
Sunday Herald: 54,631, down 6.66 per cent
The Sunday Telegraph: 676,400, down 1.86 per cent
The Sunday Times: 1,324,475, down 3.74 per cent
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