Irish Independent to launch as tabloid

INDEPENDENT News & Media is to launch a tabloid version of its daily paper.

It will be offered as a city option initially with the dual option being made available to readers.

Market launch is due within the next few weeks, it is understood.

Contrary to a weekend report the Irish Times has no plans to follow the Indo.

Editor Geraldine Kennedy denied any such plans were under consideration either over the short to medium term.

She said: “There are no plans to take the Irish Times tabloid”.

The move from Middle Abbey Street had been inspired by the success of the “Indy” in Britain where sales have rose 8% since the dual option was offered to readers.

One analyst, familiar with both the Irish and British markets, questioned the strategy for Ireland. It was unlikely that the Irish Independent would make the same gains given its already dominant position here where daily sales at 145,000 are ahead of other publications.

At this stage moving to the tabloid option has added about 8% to the struggling British broadsheet.

For the first time last Saturday the former broadsheet was published only in “compact” form. Its performance will be monitored for some time to see if the 8% gains can be sustained in a tabloid-only format.

The move to the tabloid alternative by the Irish Independent could also be a defensive block in anticipation of the Daily Mail’s launch of a mid-market Irish daily tabloid. The Daily Mail has been rumoured for some time to be looking at a mid range tabloid to compete against the Irish Independent.

To date the Daily Mail, owners of Ireland on Sunday, has had its hands full getting that product up to scratch.

It is reckoned that with its push with Ireland on Sunday the group spent up to €15m last year, but without much return to date.

In the short term it looks as if the Indo has nothing to fear from the Mail. It is believed it will make no move into the daily market for at least two years. Observers believe the group is only testing the scene here and will wait to see how good a return it gets from its investment in Ireland on Sunday.