The July – September sales audit results are challenging across the board for newspapers but devastating for Fairfax where The Age lost 16.9% Monday to Friday and The Sydney Morning Herald lost 15.1% Monday to Friday. Read the details at B&T. With the AFR down to 68,000 copies a day you have to wonder about when they will switch to digital.
I am shocked by them figures for Fairfax. I understand the challenge for print but 15% when the others are holding there own?
Maybe they’ve just decided to become honest. Our sales numbers have been consistent over the period. In fact AFR is up. From our perspective we can’t see where the drop is coming from.
The other possibility is they haven’t been as aggressive with their Teachers and education programmes this year, compared to recent years. Maybe they’re not giving away as many papers as they used to.
Mark
Not surprised by the drop just the percentage of the drop. Fairfax have been on a slippery slope for sometime with a lot of it being of their own making with bad management calls etc. But 3 times in the last 10 days we have not been able to deliver Fairfax papers the last being today, they where late again. One subscriber has told me of her frustration with Fairfax not responding to her via phone or email. As she expressed to me they are happy to take her money but do not give a stuff about service once they have it.
So looks like Fairfax are about to loose another reader.
I have been told by a chalkie that the teachers SMH offer is to increase from $60.00 to near $300.
Mind you $60 was ridiculous
The Age here in Albury has lost many readers who looked forward to the property guide on Saturday which has been taken out, likewise the SMH. Many rang FF to complain but were met with uninterested response. Not a great way to treat your customer.
Maybe they should get rid of the executive perks and lerks from the old days…that would be a start…
Could’nt happen to a better company!
And its even worse than that. In a world where Clark Kent has resignated from the Daily Planet to start his own blog, one wonders what earth shattering news we will hear next.