Independent news retailers gathered this morning (Wednesday, July 9) outside News UK’s Glasgow office to protest about the newspaper publisher’s plan to raise the cover prices on The Times and Sun but cut the retail percentage margin.
From Monday, July 14, the price of UK weekday editions of the Times will increase to £3.20. However, the new retail margin paid for each copy sold will not take effect until January 2026 and, even then, will drop 1 per cent.
At the same time, all editions of the Sun will rise in price, with Monday to Friday editions increasing to £1.20. The Saturday edition will rise to £1.60 and the Sunday edition to 1.90. The margin on all editions will drop 1 per cent to 20 per cent.
The protest, organised by the Federation of Independent Retailers (the Fed), stems from the Fed’s belief that the cuts could lead to more stores delisting its products and cutting off customers from newspapers.
The Fed’s National President Hetal Patel, who was protesting outside News UK’s head office at London Bridge, said: “Independent retailers are being financially squeezed out of the market by diminishing margins, and this is putting the availability of newspapers and home news delivery at risk.”
Fed members had been forced to take this action as News UK was enforcing the changes by stealth, he added.
He said: “We want the opportunity to discuss with News UK face to face the consequences of its actions. Independent retailers are operating under intense financial pressures. When cover prices rise, pro-rata terms are a necessity for retailers to simply stand still.
“Reducing terms accelerates the decline in availability of newspapers to consumers and threatens the viability of the home delivered copy, which is a lifeline for the old, infirm and those without transport.”
