Skip to content
Search
AI Powered
Latest Stories

Newsquest cuts retailer margin

Regional publisher Newquest has slashed the terms for retailers on its various publications, without any increases to cover prices.

The publisher has standardized the margin at 21 per cent which will take effect on 20 July.


On the Leigh Journal, the retail margin has been reduced to 21 per cent from 50 per cent, which means 15p less for retailers on each copy they sell.

The margin on five other titles published by Newsquest’s North West and North Wales division - the St Helens Star, the Messenger, Wirral Globe, Rhyl Journal and the Chester & District Standard – will be cut from 25 per cent to 21 per cent, resulting in retailers earning between 2p and 4p less per copy.

The publisher said the cut is essential to invest in a “sustainable future.”

“Retail margin reductions are never comfortable for retailer - or publisher - but the longevity of these titles is paramount,” Chris Strong, sales manager at Newquest, said in a letter to retailers.

“Local journalism is absolutely vital and we have fought for our communities for more than 100 years. We are determined to ensure we are still doing so long into the future and by reducing retail margins we can invest in a sustainable future.”

NFRN has condemned the move saying it has left retailers “reeling.”

“Terms reductions are unpalatable at the best of times but usually they occur alongside cover price increases. To make such a move without any price adjustment has left retailers reeling,” Stuart Reddish, national president of NFRN.

“Newsquest is demonstrating complete contempt for hard pressed and hard working newsagents by expecting them to take a massive hit.”

More for you

vape and cigarette
Photo: iStock

One in five ex-smokers in England now vape, study finds


Summary
1. One in five people who have successfully quit smoking in England currently vape, with an estimated 2.2 million individuals using e-cigarettes as a smoking cessation tool.
2. The increase in vaping among ex-smokers is largely driven by the use of e-cigarettes in quit attempts, with a rise in vaping uptake among people who had previously quit smoking for many years before taking up vaping.
3. While vaping may be a less harmful option compared to smoking, there are concerns about the potential long-term implications of vaping on relapse risk and nicotine addiction. Further research is needed to assess the impact of vaping on smoking cessation outcomes.


Keep ReadingShow less
Bira engages with Treasury on Budget fallout, business rate reform
(Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
Getty Images

Bira engages with Treasury on Budget fallout, business rate reform

Independent retailers association Bira has held a meeting with members of the Treasury team to discuss concerns following its robust response to the Government’s recent Budget announcement.

The Budget, labelled by Bira as "devastating" for independent retailers, was met with widespread indignation from Bira members.

Keep ReadingShow less
East of England Co-op achieves 70 per cent productivity boost with Electronic Shelf Labels

East of England Co-op achieves 70 per cent productivity boost with Electronic Shelf Labels

East of England Co-op said it has improved labour productivity whilst improving customer service delivery in-store with an Electronic Shelf Label (ESL) solution from Pricer, the leading in-store automation and communication solutions provider.

Established in 1861, East of England Co-op is now the largest independent retailer operating in the East of England. In addition to the 120 food stores it operates in the region, the regional cooperative also offers customers specialist services, such as funerals, security, travel agents and petrol filling stations across Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire.

Keep ReadingShow less
PayPoint

PayPoint delivers strong half-year results; retail network crosses 30,000 sites

PayPoint Plc has on Thursday has announced a robust financial performance for the half year ending 30 September, making continued progress towards achieving an underlying EBITDA of £100 million by the end of FY26.

The company’s UK retail network increased to 30,151 sites during the period, from 29,149 at the end of the previous fiscal year. 70 per cent of these are independent retailers, and the rest in multiple retail groups.

Keep ReadingShow less
Johnson & Johnson office

Johnson & Johnson office in Irvine, California

Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images

Johnson & Johnson risks UK lawsuit over talc cancer claim

UK claimants announced Wednesday legal action against US pharmaceutical and cosmetics giant Johnson & Johnson, alleging that women diagnosed with cancers were exposed to asbestos in the company's talcum powder.

J&J risks UK court action for the first time over the allegations, having faced a series of similar lawsuits in North America.

Keep ReadingShow less