At least four Scottish newspapers are to implement price changes over the next few days, with, starting tomorrow, the Saturday editions of The Scottish Sun and the Daily Star of Scotland both reducing to 30p – the Sun from 60p, the Star from 50p.
Meanwhile, from Monday, the Scottish Daily Express, Monday-to-Friday price increases from 25p to 30p (in June, it briefly dropped to 20p, from 35p) with the Scottish Daily Mail to charge 45p throughout Scotland, having been 40p in the west of the country.
However, the president of the Scottish division of the National Federation of Retail Newsagents has expressed concern about tomorrow's Sun versus Star pricing.
Says Abdul Qadar: “Whilst both [the Sun and Star] publishers are maintaining retailer terms on the higher price – which is to be welcomed – retailers question the validity of cut pricing which provokes tit-for-tat action by competitors that simply neutralises any long-term sales benefit that might be derived from this activity and does no lasting good for anyone.
“For that reason, we applaud the Daily Record for not entering this battleground and, like it, we would much prefer other publishers to invest in its support for retailers and in improved quality that is more likely to keep consumers buying newspapers.
“Conversely, it is welcome news that the Scottish Daily Express Monday to Friday editions will increase from 25p to 30p and retailer terms will continue to be based on the pre-promotional price of 35p.”
Promoting its price drop, The Scottish Sun said, in an in-paper advert: “The whole country will have to watch the pennies …so we've slashed the price of Scotland's best-selling Saturday newspaper in HALF.”
