Mirror Brings Partial End To Price Cut

Less than a month after sparking a tabloid pricing war by reducing its cover price to 20p (see Daily Mirror Cuts Cover Price), the Daily Mirror has announced that the price of the title will return to 32p in selected regions.

When the first price cuts were announced, some media commentators thought that Trinity Mirror was taking on more than it could handle by beginning a price war against Sun owners News International, which responded by slashing the price of its own red-top. However, the Mirror is today claiming that this “third phase” of its brand relaunch (see Mirror Drops Red Top For New Look) was planned all along. The price of the Mirror will remain at 20p in London, Meridian, Central, West and South West regions, at 10p in Scotland but go back to 32p elsewhere.

Mark Hayson, Trinity Mirror’s managing director, national titles, said: “The Mirror brand relaunch has been the result of detailed analysis and planning. Part of the strategy is to use reduced price to build long-term purchase frequency and circulation. Our plan has always been to divide the country in two after an initial national pricing burst. This enables us to focus our resources on key regions to get the maximum benefit for the longest time.”

Mirror editor Piers Morgan today claimed that his paper has seen a 9% increase in sales from Monday to Friday. This figure excludes bulk sales and direct marketing vouchers for May 13-24 compared to April 22 – May 3.

Trinity Mirror: 020 7293 3000 www.trinity.plc.uk

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