NextFin news, Smiths News, a major UK news wholesaler, announced on Thursday, September 11, 2025, that it has delayed its annual carriage charge review and will implement a new pricing template from November 1, 2025, that reduces carriage charges for smaller retailers with lower newspaper and magazine sales. This announcement was made in a letter to retail customers and follows discussions with the Federation of Independent Retailers (Fed).
The Fed, representing independent news retailers across the UK, said nearly 1,000 of its members will benefit from the reduced carriage charges starting November 1. Historically, Smiths News conducted its carriage charge review in July with changes effective from September, but this year the review was postponed to allow more extensive dialogue with retailers and the Fed.
Simon Gage, Commercial Director of Smiths News, stated in the letter that the review took longer due to awareness of the challenges faced by retailers. He emphasized that the new carriage charge template aims to lower costs for retailers with smaller product ranges and fewer sales while remaining fair to larger retailers with higher sales volumes. Gage also noted ongoing investments in warehousing, technology, and delivery services to maintain an efficient and cost-effective supply chain.
The Fed’s National President, Hetal Patel, welcomed the delay and the resulting changes, saying the discussions enabled by the postponement allowed the Fed to raise concerns directly with Smiths News. Patel praised Smiths News for acting on these concerns, particularly for measures that protect the viability and long-term future of smaller news stores. She also called for future reviews to examine charges for larger independent retailers, especially those offering home news delivery (HND).
Craig Etchells, Deputy Vice President of the Fed and chair of its news operations committee, added that newspaper publishers should consider the needs of news retailers before implementing future cover price changes.
While smaller retailers will see a reduction in carriage charges, larger retailers will experience an increase capped at £6 per week, which the Fed noted is below the current inflation rate. The changes are set to take effect from November 1, 2025, across the UK.
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