Unlike most people who prefer to sleep in on the weekends, I’m an early riser – especially on Sundays. Rain or shine, my Sunday mornings have fallen into a comfortable, predictable routine. I wake up, turn on the coffee pot, open the front door, grab The New York Times, and then settle down on my favorite couch with a few pounds of newspaper and a freshly brewed cup of joe. But as they say, all good things must come to an end.
Over the last few months, I’ve opened my front door at the usual time to see nothing lying there but carpet. I called customer service to complain, but was told that the newspaper wasn’t technically late yet as Sunday delivery has a later delivery time guarantee to “…give our delivery people some extra time because of the size of the newspaper.”
Fair enough, but reading the newspaper is rarely the only thing on my Sunday “To Do” list. Even if I was so inclined, it would be impractical to expect that I could always rearrange my day to accommodate the Times’ delivery schedule. With no other choice, I cancelled my Sunday delivery. The Starbucks one block away sells the Times, so I’ll just go there now and buy it (and save some change in the process as there is an extra charge to have the newspaper delivered in New York).
Still, I suspect there are people who aren’t quite so loyal and simply don’t read the Times if they can’t get it when they want it. The Audit Bureau of Circulation yesterday reported that the Sunday circulation of The New York Times plummeted nearly eight percent in the past six months. Though a price hike was cited as partially to blame, I can’t help but wonder if late deliveries might be a contributing factor. After all, not everyone is going to get dressed and head down to Starbucks to buy it when they can read it in their pajamas online for free.
The Times has never been known for its city coverage, so maybe the folks in circulation don’t fully appreciate that New York really is a city that never sleeps. If the newspaper is looking to staunch its circulation erosion, perhaps it should consider delivering it a tad earlier than 8:30.
1:36 pm
You need the exercise anyway. Stop complaining and get out and smell the Starbucks. (Better yet, don’t buy Starbucks, save yourself a ton of money and hire the doorman to go buy it for you.)