The Evening Standard has won the right to use the distribution bins of rival free title Metro at London railway stations in the evenings.
In 2006, News International‘s free London daily thelondonpaper won the bidding war for the rights to use the distribution bins inside London’s ten mainline railway stations.
Press Gazette understands that the Standard has now won a short-term agreement with Network Rail to use the bins, which give it access to the estimated one million commuters who use London’s railway stations every evening.
The Standard has also struck deals to be distributed inside Asda, Sainsbury, Tesco and WH Smith.
Last night Associated Newspapers appeared to ramp up distribution of its rival free title London Lite with merchandisers positioned at strategic points around the capital handing out free copies before commuters arrived at their stations.
Yesterday, Evening Standard managing director Andrew Mullins told Press Gazette that despite increasing distribution from 250,000 to around 600,000 – the plan was to continue to aim the title at the “quality” market.
He claimed that the new Standard would now be delivering an ABC1 audience that no other quality newspaper title will be able match.
Mullins also revealed that cost savings from ditching the free edition have already cancelled out the lost circulation income.
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