NFRN National President Stuart Reddish is this afternoon (Thursday March 5) meeting with Reach executives to share members’ concerns about the newspaper publisher’s latest cover price rise which is accompanied by a cut in retailer terms.
From Monday March 9 the price of the weekday edition of the Daily Mirror will rise by 5p to 85p in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and to 90p in Scotland but the percentage margin that news stockists receive is dropping 0.8 per cent to 20 per cent.
Commenting ahead of the meeting, Mr Reddish said: “As we have said on many occasions, the NFRN does not condone margin cuts and Reach’s latest move will simply further erode the goodwill and trading relationship that the newspaper publisher has previously enjoyed with independent retailers.
That’s why, as the only trade association to really care about retailers’ livelihoods when it comes to print, we are meeting with Reach circulation director John Howard later today when we will share our members’ deep dismay at this latest move.
“It is also why we will be holding a newspaper summit at the end of the month when, together with publishers and news wholesalers, we will be exploring a solution to the continual erosion of the retail margin, the cost to do business in the supply chain and the lack of innovation throughout the category as these impact on our combined ability to retain or grow our customers. NFRN members care deeply about the printed word but their support is being tested by the publishers’ current direction of travel.”
