Retailers should have more confidence in their newspaper delivery service after publishers and wholesalers agreed to commit to tougher delivery times.
During the next year, publishers and wholesalers will sign up to scheduled arrival times for each depot, which will give retailers more recourse if their delivery is late.
The decision follows the Joint Industry Group's review of its Standards and Best Practice Agreement between newspaper publishers and wholesalers.
"It's the first time we've managed to get a degree of commitment from publishers to get the papers to the wholesalers on time," said Neil Robinson, chairman of the Industry Service Standards Group. He added that the move should give retailers confidence in the supply chain, as publishers would be held more accountable.