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May 18, 2017

Print ABCs: Bulks boost Times as Trinity Mirror nationals and Scottish dailies record double-digit circulation falls

By Freddy Mayhew

An increase in free bulk distribution helped The Times grow its overall circulation year on year in April, according to ABC.

The daily  recorded the largest year-on-year rise for April at 2 per cent, climbing to 445,700 copies. The figure includes 82,200 bulk sales, up by 15,000 year on year. Paid-for sales (excluding bulks) fell 1.7 per cent.

The Financial Times saw a circulation increase of 0.6 per cent on the same period last year to 197,000, also due to an increase in bulks which now stand at 22,000.

The biggest fall in circulation came from the Daily Star on Sunday, which is down 20 per cent year-on-year to 252,800 (down from 316,000).

Trinity Mirror also saw substantial year-on-year decline in circulation across its national titles:

  • The Sunday Mirror fell by 18 per cent year-on-year to 585,000 copies (down from 709,400)
  • The Sunday People was down 16 per cent year-on-year to 228,000 copies (from 272,000)
  • The Daily Mirror dropped by 13 per cent to 687,000 (down from 785,700)

Free daily the Metro saw its UK distribution climb by 10 per cent year-on-year to 1.4m copies, narrowing the gap on Britain’s best-selling daily newspaper, The Sun, which was down 6 per cent year-on-year to 1.6m.

The Mail on Sunday was down 10 per cent year-on-year, compared to 6 per cent for the Daily Mail.

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The Guardian’s circulation fell by 9 per cent year-on-year.

In Scotland, the Sunday Mail, Sunday Post and Daily Record all recorded double-digit year-on-year drops in circulation. The Mail was down 14 per cent, the Post by 21 per cent and the Record by 13 per cent.

Publication Circulation (April 2017) Month-on-month % change Year-on-year % change Bulks
The Sun 1,617,152 0.93 -5.78 97,843
Metro (free) 1,480,110 0.06 9.83
Daily Mail 1,454,073 0.77 -5.91 63,994
The Sun on Sunday 1,358,336 -0.23 -3.9 97,818
The Mail on Sunday 1,238,512 -0.78 -9.92 60,529
London Evening Standard 878,290 -2.56 -2.43
The Sunday Times 779,785 -1.24 -2.19 86,172
Daily Mirror 687,000 -0.76 -12.56 23,695
Sunday Mirror 585,054 -3.12 -17.54 24,000
The Daily Telegraph 467,601 1.52 -6.19 45,142
The Times 445,737 1.13 2.07 82,200
Daily Star 437,949 0.23 -14.67
Daily Express 386,297 -0.11 -7.88
The Sunday Telegraph 354,815 -0.37 -4.25 34,325
Sunday Express 335,426 0.36 -8.12
i 263,826 -0.55 -7.25 55,810
Daily Star – Sunday 252,805 1.4 -20.06
Sunday People 228,024 -1.88 -16.17 7,000
Financial Times 197,037 3.68 0.57 22,054
The Observer 181,483 1.27 -6.48
Sunday Mail 159,880 -0.78 -14.47
The Guardian 154,010 0.38 -9.1
Daily Record 149,892 -1.73 -13.4
Sunday Post 138,533 -2.27 -12.41 522
City AM (free) 90,555 -0.56 -6.15

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