Forum Topic

London Evening Standard To Go Free

So what happens re the ES magazine on Friday, only reason I buy the paper.

Carol Burge ● 5678d16 Comments

But still difficult to obtain - though not as hard as it was at the strat of the free distribution.

Sara Nathan ● 5638d

A few weeks on and still think the free Standard is pretty good. So much better than the dreadful and soon to be unlamented London Lite.

Andy Jones ● 5638d

Can't pick it up in Hammersmith round the station. How bonkers is that?

Sara Nathan ● 5660d

I managed to lay my hands on a copy of the free Standard yesterday - my wife picked it up from a seat on the tube. Doesn't seem to have taking the dive in editorial quality that some people thought it would. I'd still be happy to pay for it and certainly would pick up and read a free copy if I could regularly find one but I don't seem to be able to at the moment.

Andy Jones ● 5660d

I asked the distributor outside Kings' Cross station and he said it made no difference - he is paid a salary by the Standard. The girls at WH Smith didn't know what the deal was with shops (perhaps unsurprisingly) The Lite distributors were looking ratehr forlorn this evening.

Sara Nathan ● 5667d

Picked mine up outside White City Tube at lunchtime

Carol Burge ● 5668d

Yes, it's free from Monday 12th.

Richard Jennings ● 5669d

Isn't it happening on Monday? Or am I a week early?

Sara Nathan ● 5670d

Distribution points in W12 can be found by going to http://www.standard.co.uk/findme and clicking on W12 on the map. I get the impression that they are still talking to newsagents, ane we may get some more signed up.

Richard Jennings ● 5670d

My newsagent in Chiswick where I usually buy the Standard also didn't know what would happen next week when I asked her this evening.

Richard Jennings ● 5672d

I asked the guy who sells the Standard outside St James's Park station if he knew what was happening when the paper goes free and he says he had been told nothing at all. Pretty poor show.

Sara Nathan ● 5673d

I've been ruminating on this too..there must be hundreds of the distributors at stations etc who ar at risk: there's a very old lady at St Pauls who has been there for ever and there must be many like her. Will they still be paid to distribute? Maybe paper shops will get a flat rate - at least they know people come into th e shop for a paper and may then buy other things - but will it be seen as a loss leader?tricky.

Sara Nathan ● 5673d

I agree, John, but The Standard have said that the magazine will continue to appear as part of the free paper on Fridays.What they haven't yet said is where it's going to be available outside central London. Are they still going to deliver copies to newsagents in Shepherd's Bush, and will the newsagents agree to stock it if they get no revenue from it?  Will the paper sellers outside tube stations still be there?  We've been promised the distribution details later this week.

Richard Jennings ● 5673d

I hate that magazine. Run by a small clique of London people and featuring their friends, sycophants and hangers on in the bar, restaurant and media fields.  Deeply unrepresentative of the great city we live in.

John McCooke ● 5675d

As I say only get it on a Friday cause the mag is good........they will probably sell it instead!

Carol Burge ● 5678d

I'm not sure I would read the Standard even if it were free. That horrible campaign against Ken Livingstone last year really put me off them - so vicious.

Lina Leaman ● 5678d