ABCs: Daily Star price cut prompts modest sales rise

Richard Desmond's Daily Star was the only title in the popular dailies market to record month-on-month and year-on-sales rises in September, according to the latest Audit Bureau of Circulations figures published today. Desmond's decision to slash the price of the Daily Star by 50% in early July to just 10p continues to pay dividends, with the title recording a 0.27% month-on-month circulation rise to 864,315. Year-on-year sales were up 0.09%. The Daily Express saw sales fall by 1.75% month on month to 659,650 copies. Year-on-year sales fell 7.36%. Trinity Mirror's Daily Mirror posted the second-largest fall in the sector with year-on-year sales down 7.12% to 1,213,323 copies. Month-on-month sales fell by 1.59%. Earlier this month Desmond signalled an end to a two-year price war by announcing that he was raising the price of the Daily Star and stablemate the Daily Express. The Sun Headline circulation: 2,974,405 Month-on-month change: – 1.18% Year-on-year change: –3.41% Daily Mail Headline circulation: 2,144,229 Month-on-month change: –1.17% Year-on-year change: -0.73% UK and Ireland paid-for circulation: 1,897,805 (88.5% of total) Overseas: 142,827 Daily Mirror Headline circulation: 1,213,323 Month-on-month change: -1.59% Year-on-year change: -7.12% Daily Star Headline circulation: 864,315 Month-on-month change: +0.27% Year-on-year change: +0.09% Daily Express Headline circulation: 659,650 Month-on-month change: -1.75% Year-on-year change: -7.36% Headline circulation includes lesser rate sales, subscriptions, bulks – copies sold to airlines, rail companies, hotels and gyms for a nominal fee and given free to the public – and distribution in Ireland and overseas. UK and Ireland paid-for circulation excludes bulks and overseas distribution; where this figure is not given, bulks and overseas distribution account for less than 5% of total circulation