The i on track for 30% month-on-month growth

Alexander Lebedev's 20p daily, i, is understood to be on target to report a circulation increase of about 30% month on month when its second set of audited sales figures are released next Friday. The title, which reported an audited circulation of an average of 133,472 sales per day in January , is understood to be on track for an average sale in the region of 170,000 copies per day. The i's circulation figures include just under 8,000 copies supplied as bulks for free to British Airways and BMI – but that represents only a small part of the overall total. Since the new year the i, which largely repurposes material written for the Independent, has been boosted by a multimillion pound ad campaign , featuring Jemima Khan among others, which tapered down late last month. That had led to an expectation among a number of media buyers that sales of the i would take a hit as the promotional activity ceased. It is understood, however, that the boost in sales has remained broadly stable through to the end of this week. It is also thought that Lebedev's stablemate, the Independent, has not suffered from a major cannibalisation of paying readers, with the loss of only a few thousand expected by the i. In January the Independent managed a small rise in paid-for circulation . The publisher is aiming to sell the Independent and i as a combined offering to media buyers, and hiking rates as a result of a larger circulation, with the sales team promising a total paid-for sale of 340,000. The combined circulation of the Independent and the i looks set to top more than 350,000 for February, with the paid-for element of the £1 title and the 20p sibling now likely to be north of 250,000. • To contact the MediaGuardian news desk email [email protected] or phone 020 3353 3857. For all other inquiries please call the main Guardian switchboard on 020 3353 2000. • If you are writing a comment for publication, please mark clearly "for publication".