News Corp. has announced another round of price increases for The Australian newspaper. The Monday to Friday product will increase by 20 cents to $2.20 while the weekend product will increase 30 cents to $3.30.
While two increases in the last year are welcomed by newsagents, this is tempered with the drop off in sales. Sales data I have seen indicates sales declines follow price rises. The last price rise for The Australian saw a sales decline of around 10% for some newsagents. Newsagents I have spoken with over the last couple of days expect a similar drop off when the latest price rise hits from August 19.
For many years newsagents petitioned News for more equitable pricing for its newspapers without success. Now as the challenges for the print medium intensify News is increasing cover prices. It makes me wonder if the print price rise now is about the print product or the digital product News is keen for readers to take up.
Competition in the digital space pursued by The Australian is tougher for News than in print. There, News has to contend with Fairfax, The Guardian Australian edition, The Conversation, Crikey and a slew of other titles. Maybe this is why their digital access price is set at just $2.95.
Hi Mark,
Have you noticed any sale declines with the recent Herald Sun price rises? Given the big jump i have certainly noticed a drop in both HD and retail numbers.
no decline for the SM since price rise ..
Gary none with the Herald Sun
The Australian is fast becoming the Newspaper equivalent of Foster’s Beer… An Aussie Icon, but Aussies don’t buy it!
I though it was becoming more like the equivalent of toilet paper Amanda. Expensive and smeared with shit.
Some sections of The Australian are excellent such as Patrick Smith’s pieces on the AFL and much of the media section. When it comes to political coverage I scan the stories to be informed but not for the ‘reporting’.
I have had some customers change their subs from the Telegraph to the upper class Telegraph (Australian) as they believe there is a better coverage and less bias views of the election campaign?