The deal, predicted by PrintWeek last week, was officially rubber-stamped last Thursday (24 June). The contract, which begins next May, will strip Corby-based Quebecor World of 60% of its business. The deal is for the printing and finishing of 8.7m magazines a week, including the Mail on Sunday's Night & Day and You supplements, and Weekend from the Mail on Saturday.

For the first time, the majority of the magazines will be polywrapped by the printer, which Associated hopes will create "an improved product in response to both advertising demand and trends in the retail supply chain".Night & Day and You will be produced gravure at Polestar's new plant in Sheffield (see page 4) while the 3.5m to 4m run Weekend will be printed web offset at Polestar's Petty and Colchester sites.

Quebecor UK managing director Andrew Parker said: "We are very disappointed not to have renewed the contract, but don't wish to make any further comment at this stage."

As part of the process, Associated has switched from having an overall contract to placing individual contracts for each magazine. Contracts for ES and Metro the London-based supplements in the Associated stable have yet to be awarded.

Harmsworth Quays director John McDonnell said that a decision had yet to be made on what would happen to the printing contracts for the two magazines. He added that the decision to change to title-by-title contracts was based on "fairly complicated reasoning" without elaborating.

Opinions are divided on the effect of Quebecor losing the Associated contract. One well-placed source said there will be "a bloodbath if Quebecor World releases that capacity onto the market next year."

Story by Jo Francis and Josh Brooks