A capacity crisis at major magazine printer YM Group is affecting the supply of magazines and newspaper inserts over the Christmas period.

Previously, Better Retailing revealed warnings from Menzies over delays to TV Choice editions due to “print-site issues”.

Industry publication Print Week subsequently tracked the issue back to YM Group, outlining how the company’s new deal to produce more than two million inserts for the Daily Mail’s weekend editions, alongside machinery breakdowns, was disrupting magazines produced by YM Group’s other clients, including Bauer’s TV Choice.

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Sources also confirmed multiple reports of Mail newspaper inserts arriving late since the switch to YM Group. Bhavesh Patel, owner of Watties Newsagents in Horley, Surrey, said: “Mail inserts are now arriving on Saturdays, rather than Fridays, sometimes even after the papers arrive.”

PrintWeek reported the Daily Mail Group held an emergency meeting with YM Group on 17 November to try to resolve the issue.

Better Retailing understands that Reach’s OK! Magazine has also suffered short supply into wholesale depots since the issues at YM Group began.

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