New figures have revealed the extent to which UK national newspaper Saturday circulations far exceed sales on Monday to Friday.
The Guardian more than doubles its sales on Saturday – with 377,268 copies a week in April, versus 177,876 Monday to Friday – according to the figures from ABC.
The Sun's Saturday edition is the best-selling newspaper edition in the UK with 3,009,981 sales on average in April, versus the 2,507,860 average Monday to Friday sale.
The Financial Times sold 88,357 copies a day on average last month versus 113,887 on Saturdays.
The new figures come as every national newspaper – with the exception ‘i' and the Daily Star Sunday – reports sales decline year on year, may of them severe.
The UK's newest national newspaper – The Sun Sunday – looks set to settle down above the 2m sales a week mark after launching at the end of February.
It sold an average of 2.3m copies a week in April, down 5.3 per cent month on month.
The biggest circulation fallers in the daily market in April were: The Independent (down 45.4 per cent after stripping out bulk copies), The Guardian (down 18.9 per cent), the Financial Times (down 17.8 per cent) and The Times (down 12.3 per cent).
In the Sunday market the Star Sunday remain the only title to have hung on to gains made following the closure of the News of the World last year. It remained up 56 per cent year on year at 482,225 copies a month.
UK national newspaper Monday to Friday and Saturday sales for April (source ABC):
- Daily Mirror: Monday to Saturday: 1,049,918 ; Monday to Friday: 994,883 ; Saturday: 1,297,578
- Daily Record: Monday to Saturday 269,179 ; Monday to Friday 259,902 : Saturday 310,928
- Daily Star: Monday to Saturday 603,745 ; Monday to Friday 604,767 ; Saturday 599,135
- The Sun: Monday to Saturday 2,599,155 ; Monday to Friday 2,507,860 ; Saturday 3,009,981
- Daily Express: Monday to Saturday 553,823 ; Monday to Friday 532,622 ; Saturday 649,232
- Daily Mai: Monday to Saturday 1,900,450 ; Monday to Friday 1,730,610 ; Saturday 2,664,730
- The Daily Telegraph: Monday to Saturday 563,253 ; Monday to Friday 519,319 ; Saturday 760,956
- Financial Times: Monday to Saturday 92,999 ; Monday to Friday 88,357 ; Saturday 113,887
- The Guardian: Monday to Saturday 214,128 ; Monday to Friday 177,876 ; Saturday 377,268
- The Herald: Monday to Saturday 45,178 ; Monday to Friday 44,119 ; Saturday 49,947
- i : Monday to Saturday 271,648 ; Monday to Friday 271,648 ; Saturday N/A
- The Independent: Monday to Saturday 98,053 ; Monday to Friday 92,854 ; Saturday 121,451
- The Scotsman: Monday to Saturday 36,284 ; Monday to Friday 34,166 ; Saturday 45,812
- The Times: Monday to Saturday 373,665 ; Monday to Friday 349,414 ; Saturday 482,789
- Racing Post: Monday to Saturday 52,907 ; Monday to Friday 46,211 : Saturday 84,714
UK national newspaper sales full round up for April 2012 (source ABC):
Average sale; percentage change year on year
Dailies
- Daily Mirror 1,084,355 ; -7.54
- Daily Record 281,584 ; -9.91
- Daily Star 611,081 ; -11.71
- The Sun 2,624,008 ; -5.72
- Daily Express 568,628 ; -10.53
- Daily Mail 1,991,275 ; -5.19
- The Daily Telegraph 576,790 ; -9.82
- Financial Times 305,685 ; -17.84
- The Herald 45,178 ; -9.22
- The Guardian 214,128 ; -18.86
- i 271,648 ; 68.57
- The Independent 98,636 ; -45.43
- The Scotsman 36,287 ; -10.46
- The Times 393,187 ; -12.59
- Racing Post 53,274 ; -7.15
Sundays
- Daily Star Sunday 482,225 ; 55.94
- The Sun (Sunday) 2,297,441 ; NA
- Sunday Mail 320,763 ; -12.52
- Sunday Mirror 1,088,354 ; -0.83
- The People 461,973 ; -3.79
- Sunday Express 529,510 ; -11.99
- Sunday Post 267,802 ; -13.66
- The Mail on Sunday 1,800,674 ; -7.41
- Independent on Sunday 121,837 ; -21.00
- The Observer 252,642 ; -16.61
- Scotland on Sunday 45,787 ; -9.56
- Sunday Herald 28,018 ; -5.27
- The Sunday Telegraph 455,378 ; -10.63
- The Sunday Times 955,248 ; -6.18
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