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.
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 |
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