Store owners have praised the Mail for its new campaign that gives customers £50 vouchers to pay for the home news delivery charges levied by newsagents.

Unlike HND vouchers run by several publishers earlier this year often described as below what newsagents actually charge, the new Home Delivery Pack campaign allows stores set their own weekly charge rates and use the £50 voucher to pay for as long a period as it covers. 

Mail Newspapers national account manager Andy Law told RN: “We are really excited by this offer, and feel that it is a fair way to offer a real reward to our subscribers during the colder nights and also during these uncertain times – whilst also ensuring that you are fully compensated for your existing delivery charges.”

Graeme Pentland, owner of Ashburton News in Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne was a strong critic of the previous capped vouchers offered by publishers. Asked about the new scheme, he told RN: It’s a massive improvement, it’s exactly what we want and it feels like they are working with us. We’d love to see the offer on leaflets as well so we can put it through doors and talk about it at the counter to non-readers as well.”

The offer, available to both new and existing HND customers taking out a print subscription. The publisher of the UK’s best selling title explained the £50 HND voucher will be sent to the reader within 28 days of their subscription starting. The customer then passes the voucher to the store which are then redeemed through the standard wholesale voucher redemption route.

A statement from the publisher said: “In essence the £50 is credit for the reader for their delivery service charge and when this runs out they will start to pay you for the service at your agreed rate with that customer.

Terms and conditions listed on the Daily Mail’s website list the promotion as applying to subscriptions registered between 17 October and 8 November.

The offer comes in the same week nearly every major news publisher also undertook measures designed to support small stores. The Sun’s Bounce Back Britain campaign and vouchers provide footfall to stores with additional cash prizes available to stores through partnered app My Store Plus. A free Health Lottery ticket was promoted across Reach’s Express, Star and Mirror titles on 17 October, helping drive both copy sales and visits to Health Lottery partnered independent stores. The Guardian continues to heavily promote its discounted print subscription offer redeemable in local shops which are paid at standard retailer terms.