The Guardian has revealed that it is to become the most expensive mainstream national newspaper from Monday rising from £1 to £1.20 a day. The Times, Telegraph and Independent all cost £1 a day and the Financial Times costs £2.
It is also to rise by 20p to £2.20 on Saturdays from this weekend. A new offer will see subscribers save 38 per cent on the cover price – the paper reports.
The move comes three months after Guardian editor Alan Rusbridger announced a digital-first strategy which will see resources taken from the print operation and focused on the digital side.
In the year to June Guardian News and Media made an operating loss of £37.8m with digital providing around £35m out of a total turnover of £221m.
The price hike comes at a time when print sales of the paper were starting to stabilise. Although sales of The Guardian dropped 11.3 per cent year on year in July to 241,287 a day – the picture was worsened by a decision to drop foreign sales. Month on Month it was one of the better performers, with sales down just 3 per cent.
Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog
