CTNs are being driven out of business by supermarkets and c-stores because they won't diversify, according to the National Federation of Retail Newsagents. NFRN chief executive Roger Clarke said: "I lose 1,800 members a year and 42%-50% of those go because they close down. Shops with the lowest turnover are often those who won't diversify out of news." He said the NFRN was encouraging its members to expand out of pure news ­ via the Quix format, for example. However, Clarke claimed wholesalers' excessive carriage charges were damaging profitability. "Through the carriage charge system, wholesalers aren't doing retailers any favours." Association of Newspaper and Magazine Wholesalers md Terry Perry said: "Some people would argue the decline is a direct result of an oppressive wholesaling system. In reality it's due to market forces and an evolution in shopping patterns." ANMW figures show the number of supermarkets selling news rose by 192 to 3,943 in the year to September 2001. C-store news outlets rose by 125 to 7,919 in the same period. The CTN sector has 14,697. {{NEWS }}