London Standard circulation drops amid Lebedev takeover

The circulation of London's Evening Standard newspaper has fallen even as former KGB operative Alexander Lebedev is set to complete its purchase this month. Audit Bureau of Circulation (ABC) figures for January reveal that the Standard had an average daily circulation of 292,976, of which 134,667 were given away free via bulk distribution deals. The Standard's average paid-for sale in January was 158,309 compared with 185,052 in January 2008.

Lebedev's company, Evening Press Ltd, is expected to complete the purchase of a 75 per cent share in the Evening Standard for £1 from Daily Mail and General Trust by the end of this month (See: Russian billionaire Alexander Lebedev buys London's Evening Standard)

The London daily paper, formerly owned by Daily Mail & General Trust, recorded a 0.63 per cent fall in circulation year on year to 292,976. Previously, it had recorded four straight months of year-on-year circulation increases. It did, however, see circulation go up 2.02 per cent month-on-month from the traditionally quiet December figures.

Earlier this week, it was emerged that Veronica Wadley, who had been Standard editor for seven years, would leave after new owners announced that former Tatler editor Geordie Greig would take the helm.

Full-price sales in January were on average 155,467, down from 158,382 the previous month. Bulks – copies that readers can pick up free from hotels, airlines and gyms, which pay a nominal fee – increased slightly to 134,666. This meant that bulks accounted for 46 per cent of the Standard's total circulation, a rise of two per cent on December.

Of the other newspapers, distribution of London's free City AM was up 0.37 per cent month on month to a daily average of 87,655 copies in January. News International's free newspaper, the London Paper, distributed an average of 500,578 each weekday. Circulation was up 1.05 per cent month on month. Rival freesheet London Lite, owned by DMGT, saw an average distribution of 400,860 copies daily last month, a 2.69 per cent increase from December.

DMGT's other free title, Metro, distributed 1,335,978 copies each weekday across the country in January – a fall of 0.97 per cent month on month.

Looking at the national press, the Daily Telegraph gave away the most number of free copies via bulk deals, with an average of 109,319 of its average daily circulation given away for free in January. It was followed by The Times on 55,603, The Independent on 40,879, The Financial Times on 34,580 and The Guardian on 14,838.