Sindy's revival proves short-lived

The Independent on Sunday's post-relaunch circulation boost appeared to run out of steam in July, with the paper recording a 12% month-on-month decline.
However, the IoS was the only Sunday quality to record a year-on-year sales increase last month, up 0.09% on July 2006.

A month on from the Independent on Sunday's June relaunch the paper sold an average of 196 extra copies than it did in the same month last year.

The slimmed-down relaunch boosted IoS sales in June, but many of those evaporated in July, with the title's circulation falling a hefty 12.03% month on month.

Independent News & Media's UK Sunday quality sold an average of 216,371 copies last month.

In June the IoS relaunched with a slimline 96-page main section with a business lift-out and a single magazine, after dumping the multi-section Sunday newspaper model.

The paper saw sales rise 17% on the month and the year, thanks in part to a cover price slashed to £1 for the relaunch.

But the IoS was the only Sunday broadsheet to record a year-on-year sales rise last month, modest as it was.

The aftermath of the failed terror attacks in London and at Glasgow airport and the floods across England failed to boost circulations.

The Sunday Telegraph, which in June went ahead with a modest redesign of its typeface and layout, saw its year-on-year circulation fall 2.95% to 636,681 last month. This was a fall since June of 2.42%.

Rival title the Sunday Times, which pushed its cover price to £2 in September, is still experiencing year-on-year circulation falls above 10%.

In July it fell 10.67% year on year to 1,169,017. But this was a far more modest month-on-month decline of 0.42%.

The Observer sold an average of 445,162 copies each week in June. This was a year-on-year fall of 2.76% and a fall since June of 1.39%.

Stephen Brook, press correspondent
Friday August 10, 2007