August, 2008 | newsXpress Blog

Visual merchandising for newsagents

Having the right product on the shop floor is important. Landing it there for a good price is another. What you do with this product once it gets there is even more important. Too often in newsagencies we see opportunities lost because of poor in-store displays. This is a topic which will receive attention at the newsXpress conference on the Gold Coast next month. We have an expert in the visual merchandising field presenting at the conference. We also have members showing off their best displays and network with colleague newsagents, discussing what works in their business and what does not.

At newsXpress we are committed to helping our members from the back of the shop right through to the front. There is where the newsXpress offer is unique. We take a whole of business approach and bring energy and excitement into play to achieve the results many newsagents miss even though they may do some good buying.

Welcome Pelican Waters

newsXpress thrilled to welcome the new shop at Pelican Waters which had its Grand Opening last weekend. Karen Sutton from newsXpress was on hand to train the team and provide support for the opening.

Store openings are an important part of the newsXpress process. They help newsagents put the past behind them and focus on building a brighter future for the business around the principles of newsXpress. This is where our in-store training is important. It brings the owners and their team together and focuses on the newsXpress difference. Our experts are able to draw on considerable experience from other stores and offer a range of strategies around which the business can grow in the future.

Suppliers get behind our store openings by providing prizes, marketing material and other support. They are keen to help our members and our group. This is because a newsXpress store, for many suppliers, will deliver above industry average sales growth.

Karen is our national account manager, handling all newsXpress prospect inquiries. If you are interested in newsXpress, please make contact with Karen.

Promoting Dad’s Nuts

The newsXpress exclusive Dad’s Nuts promotion for Father’s Day is working very well across our stores. This exclusive product from Morish is popular with newsXpress customers and team members. In the Father’s Day gift bag there is a selection of tasty Morish product along with a discount coupon for a future purchase.

newsXpress is pleased to offer this and other exclusive deals for Father’s Day.

Changes at newsXpress

newsXpress CEO, Mark Nagy, is moving to a consulting role with the group following his recommendation to the Board that the company recruit a new CEO for the next phase of growth for this 150 member strong newsagency marketing group.

Mark Nagy served as CEO of newsXpress for three years from late 2005 and oversaw membership growth from 35 locations to in excess of 150 locations and employee growth from two to twelve.

“I have enjoyed my time with newsXpress and working with newsagents immensely” commented Mark Nagy, “I am passionate about newsXpress and feel that the next phase of its growth is best pursued with a new CEO. I am pleased to be able to continue to contribute to the group.”

“Mark Nagy’s contribution to newsXpress has been invaluable,” commented Graham Randall, founding Director of the newsXpress group, “driving us to look outside the traditional newsagency channel for revenue and business opportunities. We wish him well with his next career move.”

The company is undertaking a strategic review in advance of conducting a search for a new CEO to lead the group. Mark Nagy has been retained by the Board in a consulting role.

Father’s Day at newsXpress

In addition to actively promoting greeting cards this Father’s Day, newsXpress stores have a host of gift offers which are supported by exclusive in-store collateral. Our stores have material to promote albums, shredders, confectionery, bookends and desk sets – all items suitable for gifts for Dad on Father’s Day. The posters were provided free of charge. Each is printed in colour double sided and is A2 in size.

The products being promoted on the posters were selected by the newsXpress merchandise team for their suitability for the season and the margin they deliver.

Our mission is to help our members achieve a more valuable shopping basket. We are doing this through better buying, better in-store and out-of-store marketing andbringing new products which fit naturall with the typical newsXpress shopper.

As with all seasons, we will track the results of our offers and invite member feedback. This helps to continue to refine our offer.

Vacancy: WA Business Development Manager

Expansion within newsXpress has opened an opportunity an energetic and appropriately skilled person to join us in Western Australia in a new business development role we have created.

If you have good small business management skills and want to help newsagents grow their businesses, please email your resume to employment@newsXpress.com.au.

Vacancy: Queensland Business Development

One of the most important roles in newsXpress is that of Business Development Manager. BDMs, as they are known, work with our members, building their businesses around the newsXpress processes. They take a whole of business approach from the back room to the front counter, offering resources, guidance and training to improve business efficiency, drive traffic and extract a better financial return.

Expansion within newsXpress has opened an opportunity an energetic and appropriately skilled person to join our Queensland team in a new business development role we have created.

If you have good small business management skills and want to help newsagents grow their businesses, please email your resume to employment@newsXpress.com.au.

We announce ‘newsXpress Echuca’ …OPEN!

newsXpress Echuca is the latest Victorian regional member to rebrand and open. The Dye Family certainly engaged the community with a month of activity commencing with the sponsorship of a regional conference and culminating with the Gala Opening last Friday.

An alreadt great store has been further improved with the pro-active owners seeing strong growth in Hallmark cards and related product ranges, magazines and Canson Art. Their fun opening day was obvious to all as highlighted by the enthusiastic team. An ever popular sausage sizzle, promotional give-aways and the nromal newsXpress activities provided a great start.

Congratualtions to Steve, Liz, Andrea, Jo-anne and all the team at newsXpress Echuca!

newsXpress Bairnsdale opens its doors

newsXpress Bairnsdale opened under the newsXpress brand on Saturday and everyone came to town.

Promotions giving away free petrol, Accomodation, Show Bags, Lucky Dips etc were supported by Hallmark Forever Friends Bear, Coco the Clown (How do they make motorbikes out of Balloons?) and a lovely chamber ensemble of local musicians filled in a great day that could not even be marred by the cold, wind and rain!

Many people entered the store for the first time and were eager to come back again. This positive feeling was only strengthened thanks tothe local Lions club and the 300 + delicious sausages they gave away out the front of the store.

newsXpress Bairnsdale proprietors Gina and Taz epitomise the newsXpress mantra. As new members, their particiaption is strong and they are subsequently reaping the rewards for their efforts!

Congratualtions on a great day!

GREETING CARD SALES GROWING AT SEYMOUR

Vaughan Lawrence and the team at newsXpress Seymour have grown card sales by 38% since switching to Hallmark Cards. Yes they made some changes by bringing the cards to the front of the store which has also helped, but the stunning growth is mainly attributed to the new range of cards. The added promotions from the Hallmark Alliance Program which is supplied have also been a key contributor to this stunning growth with the store recently giving away a Giant 36″ Forever Friends bear as a part of the promotion.

They cant wait to see the growth at Fathers Day!

Imagine the growth when newsXpress Seymour gets a shop fit which is planned for the future.

ACP Connections Conference is ‘Bloody Fantastic!’

The 8th Annual ACP Connections Conference and Awards ceremony was held at the majestic Park Hyatt in Melbourne yesterday to much acclaim with newsXpress again stealing the limelight from the gracious hosts.

With a conference theme of ABC – (Attitude, Balance, Collaboration) it indeed seemed as simple as 1,2,3 to Warrick and Jo Hosking from newsXpress Gympie who brought the evening’s festivities to a crescendo and the raucous crowd to their feat with the announcement of their momentous victory in the prestigoius ‘Newsagent of the Year’ title.

The ACP Connections website outlines the highest honour they annually bestow upon a worthy Newsagent as: A recognition of all-round excellence and sales growth. Furthermore the winner shall exhibit ‘best practice’ principles across all areas of their operation, including business planning, technology, store presentation, category management, marketing and promotions, customer service and staff training.

This guideline describes Warrick and Jo to a tee, but doesn’t take into account the infectious enthusiasm and generous brand spruiking that is ingranied to their personalities. They are truly the most worthy of winners and these additional character traits consolidated their back to back victory.

Not to be over looked amongst the hysteria that was the main event was the meritoriuos performance of Philip and Deborah Kobelt from newsXpress Parap who were rightfully acknowledged as Runners-Up. Their commitment to the connections program and unwavering pursuit of innovation in the promotion and merchandise of ACP titles capped a very successful newsXpress night.

Happy newsXpressers:

From back left – Mark & Shelley Petersen, Geoff Hilder, Stephen & Liz Dye, Paul & Maureen Blunden, Ron Thorpe, Mark Nagy, Debbie Kobelt.

Middle Row – Karen Sutton, Fiona & Adrian Matthews

Front Row – Ahn Do (Conference MC and Comedian), Scott Day, Warrick Hosking, Paul Martin, Jarrod Black, Ben Kay, Graham Randall, and Philip Kobelt

GALA OPENING WEEKEND

newsXpress wishes to congratulate Jo, Stephen, Liz, Andrea and all the team at newsXpress Echuca on their Store Opening today!

And the celebration continues tomorrow as David and Gina Brakey and the team at newsXpress Bairnsdale enjoy their offical Gala Opening.

Leveraging mass media promotions

newsXpress Beechworth were already great business operators and entrepreneurs before they joined newsXpress as showcased by their multiple ‘Newsagent of the Year’ accolades.

However since joining the newsXpress group which prides itself on attracting, nurturing and challenging the ‘Best of the Best’, they have taken their performance to a new level!

The innovative and high performing HOT ink! sub-brand has been strongly embraced by Tracy, Vaughan and their team and as the photos below show they have tied the Olympic theme of the HOT ink! 8 event into another push on home and office printers.

Dubbing the iconic front of the store their “Green & Gold Window”, Tracy and team have highlighted the promotional product using some simple yet highly effective Olympic visual marketing materials.

Thank You to our Sponsors

newsXpress would like to proudly thank the sponsors of their upcoming National Conference on the Gold Coast.

Standing out in a crowded market

newsXpress Bairnsdale proprietors David and Gina Brakey have left no stone unturned in their pursuit of advertising their newsXpress store opening. In a competitive market with several newsagents in a small town, the team at Bairnsdale stand proudly on a pedestal by their pro-active and enthusiastic approach.

Already embracing HOT ink! and developing an innovative signage solution for their display, they have also commissioned this enterprising newspaper advertisement and radio ad: 3380-newsxpress-aug11.mp3

newsXpress Kin Kora promote ‘Dad’s Nuts’

newsXpress Kin Kora are always at the forefront of innovative and visually stunning merchandising. Early indications are that Father’s Day will be no different as seen in the following pictures.

Sarah and the team have fully embraced the exciting and delicious range of Morish Nuts, and in particular the newsXpress exclusive ‘Dad’s Nuts’ pack. Also seen is the Hallmark Alliance marketing material with the fantastic Jag watch on offer as a prize in each store.

The Branding evolution of newsXpress Woden

newsXpress Woden joined newsXpress last November and in that time have gone through some massive changes in their business.

Proprietors Anthony and Nik McCormack firstly established uniform and customer service changes while embracing newsXpress supplier arrangements and promotions. Then last week the transformation was complete with an impressive newsXpress influenced shop fit.

The proud entrepreneurs are pictured below with their adorable kids.

Bringing the community together with a smile.

newsXpress Sarina revealed an uncanny coincidence when communicating their Care & Friendship Grand Prize winner!

The local winner Walter shared his name with the Giant Forever Friends Bear as nicknamed by the team at Sarina. The Girls in the store were so excited about the fluke about the names that they ended up playfully fighting over who would call the original Walter with the good news.

Pictured in the below photo: Bec (who won out and got to call Walter!), Walter, Angela & Walter.

INCREASING MARKET SHARE THROUGH ‘NEW MONEY’

Newsagents relying on “old money revenue” streams may be experiencing a sharp decline in sales as consumer confidence dips.

newsXpress continues to lead the market with innovative new money drivers. None better than our HOT ink! program. It’s a complete marketing and merchandise strategy which continues to evolve.

Proprietors within the group continue to come forward with amazing stories.

“I can’t believe how much our traditional stationery sales have grown since introducing HOT ink!”

“I am about to break out our Ink and technology sales from Stationery as it is growing so fast”

“Ink & Technology will be my number 1 dept soon exceeding greeting card sales”

“Technology products which are mostly ink now represent 40% of my stationery sales”

“The advertising is what is bringing new people through my door”

“Customers can’t believe we are more competitive than the bigger stores”

“With everything done for me, all I have to do is order the stock put it on the shelf and concentrate on serving my customers, how easy is that?”

“HOT ink! Has helped restore my faith in my newsagency”

Innovation, marketing and ramping up advertising is the key to building market share. The retailers that do this come out the other end bigger and better than ever! With HOT ink! 8 about to hit the streets nationally, HOT ink! 9 & 10 are not far behind. Watch this space for more innovation from newsXpress in the technology area.

GOING WITH THE ‘FLO’ AND TAPPING INTO THE LOCAL COMMUNITY

Serving the community is what newsagencies are renowned for, if you can tap into it using local icons even better.

Proprietor Donna and the team gave it some thought and declared that Pumpkin Scones were to be on the menu at newsXpress Kingaroy Mall and dutifully invited Flo Bjelke Petersen in to sign her new book (with her famous Pumpkin Scone recipe the highlight!).

A nice sales boost can do wonders, thinking outside the four walls at Kingaroy has brought joy and renewed sales…