Impact of ferry newspaper delivery 22/2/14
Afternoon delivery of daily newspapers not only hits trade for island shops but also
leaves a gap in many people’s regular routine.
A newstrade summit in Glasgow heard customers purchased an average of £4.40 of goods
with their newspaper on each shop visit.
Equally concerning is the loss of the social role newspapers play in remote areas
with people, particularly the elderly, going to shops to meet others, having a chat
and catch up with what’s happening in the community.
Weeks after last April’s change to trucking papers over on the ferries, island circulation
dropped by up to 18%, according to publishers.
They reckoned the Daily Record went down by 18% while the Sun fell by 15%.
Local shops suggested a bigger drop in paper sales and also reported a 15% fall in
takings.
The Comhairle undertook a small survey of about 20 shops to assess the effect of
late papers.
Stornoway retailers had reported that an initial slump appeared to have recovered
to a degree.
In addition, shops are quieter in the mornings and busier in the afternoons as a
result of the new timings.
In contrast, the ferry route saves the publishers 75% of the previous cost of the
plane and it works out even cheaper if the Loganair price rise had been applied.
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► Newspaper delivery changes