N&S plans Sunday Express revamp

Northern & Shell’s Sunday Express is to get a revamp within the next two weeks.

The Sunday Express magazine is expected to increase its pagination from about 80 pages to 100. The paper stock and page size is also expected to change and will become a heat-set glossy magazine similar in look and feel to N&S’s OK! magazine.

The broadsheet business section is expected to change to a tabloid format with an increase in pagination. N&S hopes to increase business coverage the Sunday Express in line with other Sunday newspapers.

The company is also considering increasing the column length in both the Sunday Express and The Express newspapers. If the changes take place, the titles will become the same size as arch rivals, the Daily Mail and The Mail on Sunday.

Other changes are expected to be made to The Express by the end of February, and may well include a boost in pagination. As Marketing Week went to press, Rosie Boycott remained editor-in chief of Express Newspapers, but is understood to be in negotiations with management about her position. The future of Michael Pilgrim, as executive editor of the Sunday Express is open to question.

It is likely that the changes will be supported by a TV advertising campaign. Advertising for both newspapers, prior to and after Christmas, has been handled in house. The creative account contract currently held by The Bridge is due to expire in May.

The four Express Newspaper websites, sold on by N&S to Seymour Pierce for the nominal sum of $1, were due to be put into liquidation on Tuesday, resulting in the loss of 50 jobs.

N&S acquired Express Newspapers from United News & Media in November for &£125m.