More readers, more success

SALES OF `The Independent' continue to grow.

The latest newspaper circulation figures, released yesterday, show that daily sales of the paper in October rose by 8,000 over the previous month to a total of 230,677. This represents the highest sale since January 1998 and is an increase of 3.4 per cent on the same period last year. It was also the ninth successive month that `The Independent' has registered a year-on-year rise. Its share of the broadsheet market also increased to 9.59 per cent, the highest figure for two years.

`The Independent on Sunday' also had a successful month. Sales in October, rose by more than 16,000 to 262,762 - a 6.7 per cent increase on September and a rise of 3.6 per cent on the same period last year.

Brendan Hopkins, chief executive of Independent News and Media, said: "These figures represent a quantum leap, resulting from the significant improvements to both titles. We intend to announce further substantial investment early in the new year."