Records of the Circulation Department relating to distribution, production and sales of the Guardian.
Administrative/Biographical history: The Circulation Department is responsible for the distribution, administration of supplies and sales promotion of the Guardian. The department was originally located in Manchester and transferred to London during the 1970s, though continued to have a presence in the Manchester office for several years after the move. Historically the department has comprised of centrally based circulation managers and administrative support, and locally based circulation representatives or area managers.
Traditionally the Circulation Department has supplied wholesalers who in turn supplied to retailers on demand. Distribution of the newspaper was largely by rail, with the members of the Newspaper Publishers Association (NPA) operating joint trains to ensure the efficient delivery of newspapers to more remote parts of the country. The contract with British Rail for the distribution of newspapers ended in the 1980s and since then UK editions of the Guardian have largely been distributed by road.
The Circulation Department is now part of the Production, Distribution and Sales Department with responsibility for both the Guardian and the Observer newspapers.
Creator: Manchester Guardian, Circulation department
