Advertisers and newsagents in Dublin yesterday welcomed the arrival of a "compact" or tabloid version of the Irish Independent into the newspaper market.
Although sales figures have yet to be released, a spokesman for Independent News & Media said the response to the compact had been encouraging.
"Interest is very much at the upper end of expectations. There has been a relatively high level of sellouts, suggesting some pent-up demand for the compact size," he said.
The company declined to specify the number of copies printed.
The paper is priced at €1.50 for broadsheet and compact. Advertisers are charged a general rate for both formats.
Newsagents reported curiosity about the new format among readers, although several newsagents said existing Independent readers simply switched to the compact version from the broadsheet and there were few new buyers at this stage.
Ms Susan O'Carolan of O'Carolan's newsagent in Balbriggan, north Dublin, said there had been no increase in overall Independent sales, although she said some people liked the new shape.
Mr Michael Walsh, owner of News Flash in Blackrock Main Street, said the format was likely to prove popular with DART users. "We get a lot of people using the DART coming in here and they were certainly interested in it," he said.Advertisers were upbeat about the idea of a compact edition. Ms Fiona Scott of MCM Communications, the media buying/planning arm of McConnells, the largest Irish-owned advertising agency, said she had no doubt circulation would grow.
"I see absolutely no reason why it should not work here as it has in the UK. While there is a perception problem that tabloids are in some way downmarket, this version looks very good and is very clean in its design."
She added that other newspapers in the market would be forced to consider the idea. However, she felt some readers would never purchase a tabloid format, regardless of content.
Mr Paul Moran, managing director of Mediaworks Ltd, the media arm of advertising agency Owens DDB, said he regarded the new format as a "pre-emptive strike" before Ireland on Sunday launched a new daily mid-market tabloid.
Mr Ciarán Shanley, of Shanley Media Solutions, the Dublin ad agency, said he was a fan of the new format.
"It is simply about finding new platforms. Like any media business, newspapers must recruit and retain," he said.