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Independent retailers protest outside News UK over terms cut

Independent retailers protesting over price hikes and retail margin cuts
Pooja Shrivastava
By Pooja ShrivastavaJul 09, 2025
Pooja Shrivastava
A passionate journalist with about a decade of experience, Pooja has developed a strong hold on the UK grocery retail sector. From exploring legislative changes, supply chain shifts, consumer buying habits, trends to retail crime, her work is driven by a deep belief in investigating, finding the truth and telling authentic unbiased stories. Be it convenience pathbreakers, wholesale trendsetters or Post Office Horizon scandal victims, Pooja has an equal flair for deciphering industries as well as human complexities. At Asian Trader, she aims to bridge the gap between policy, trade, and the shop floor, always keeping a finger on the pulse of what matters most to retailers.
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Summary

  • Independent retailers protest News UK’s cover price hikes and retail margin cuts for The Times and The Sun.
  • Fed demands pro-rata terms and early consultation on future pricing decisions.
  • Retailers warn reduced margins risk newspaper availability and home delivery services.

    • Independent news retailers today (July 9) are gathering outside News UK’s London headquarters, its Glasgow offices and its print plant in Knowsley, Merseyside, to protest about the newspaper publisher’s forthcoming plans to raise the cover prices on The Times and Sun and cut the retail percentage margin.

    From Monday, July 14, the price of UK weekday editions of the Times will increase to £3.20. However, the new retail margin paid for each copy sold will not take effect until January 2026 and, even then, will drop 1 per cent.

    At the same time, all editions of the Sun will rise in price, with Monday to Friday editions increasing to £1.20. The Saturday edition will rise to £1.60 and the Sunday edition to 1.90. The margin on all editions will drop 1 per cent to 20 per cent.

    The protest has been organised by the Federation of Independent Retailers (the Fed).

    The Fed’s National President Hetal Patel, who is protesting outside News UK’s head office at London Bridge, said, “Independent retailers are being financially squeezed out of the market by diminishing margins, and this is putting the availability of newspapers and home news delivery at risk.”

    Fed members had been forced to take this action as News UK was enforcing the changes by stealth, he added.

    He said: “We want the opportunity to discuss with News UK face to face the consequences of its actions.

    “Independent retailers are operating under intense financial pressures. When cover prices rise, pro-rata terms are a necessity for retailers to simply stand still.

    “Reducing terms accelerates the decline in availability of newspapers to consumers and threatens the viability of the home delivered copy, which is a lifeline for the old, infirm and those without transport.

    “Publishers have to take responsibility for the future of the news industry. That’s why we want News UK to reverse its decision and for the Fed to be involved in future discussions before any price changes go ahead.

    Around a dozen retailers have gathered in London, with a similar number gathering at the two other sites.

    federation of independent retailersretail marginindependent news retailers in uk

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