Month: February 2009

Guiding members into gifts

Our merchandise team has developed a plan for helping newsXpress members navigate the large Sydney Gift fair next week. We will have people on the ground scouting suppliers and leading teams on the floor of the show as well as providing advice on the best way to get through such a large event. We will get together to debrief and relax with a drink.

newsXpress continues to evolve its gift offer for members and this Fair next week is another way we are able to practically help members learn how to enter this most regarding product category.

Bushfire support and stories

newsXpress members are sharing stories with us about how their customers are reacting to our invitation for them to leave their loose change as a donation to the bushfire appeal. Across the counter, with the donations, come stories of family members and friends touched by the tragedy in Victoria. Listening to each story and providing another way to support the Red Cross appeal helps newsXpress newsagents to demonstrate their community connection.

Our members also give out the Red Cross direct donation access point details for customers who whist to make a more considerable donation than loose change from a sale.

We are grateful to the Red Cross for their help in ensuring that the advice we provide is accurate and best suited to their wonderful efforts.

Lease advice for newsagents

newsXpress, as part of its services to newsXpress members, provides lease advice through our own lease consultant. With years of experience dealing with major landlords and independent developers and an excellent knowledge of the needs and challenges of newsagents, Chris Hicks is able to take the emotion out of navigating complex and potentially expensive lease issues.

Chris is available to newsXpress members to help them get what is often the largest cost in their business under control.
Around thirty new leases were negotiated for newsXpress members last year. Being able to do this work under a national brand and to consistent standards makes dealing with many landlords easier.

Bushfire appeal advice sent to newsXpress members

Following further advice from the Red Cross, newsXpress today published guidelines for our member newsagents on how to collect change from customers to be on-forwarded to the red Cross.  At the same time, we have provided material for our members to use to encourage their customers to donate direct to the Red Cross.  Below is a copy of one of the notices we have provided to our members.

nx_bushfire.jpg

newsXpress has members in Victoria directly affected and we have offered practical assistance to these businesses.

Driving traffic, sales and margin with books

fday_booksale.JPGnewsXpress has just pitched its first book offer for the year. Targeting the busiest time of the year in book sales, the offer enables newsXpress members to enter this market easily, efficiently and profitably. Thanks to our supplier relationship, participating newsXpress members will have a compelling book offer which will drive excellent sales. It will be supported by advertising which will pull new customers to newsXpress locations.

Last year, thanks to newsXpress support, some members saw book sales quadruple, making the bottom line return more valuable per square metre than magazines.

newsXpress supports bushfire appeal

newsXpress has had discussions with the Red Cross today about how its members and their customers can support the Red Cross Victorian Bushfilre Appeal.  The Red Cross has asked that for the moment all donations are made direct – this provides appropriate tracking and receipting.  newsXpress is due to talk with the red cross tomorrow following further discussions within the Red Cross on how we and others may be able to more practically assist.

Hot deals exclusively at newsXpress newsagencies

member_hot_deals.jpgAs the newsXpress brand has grown we have been receiving more pitches from suppliers with special deals for our members. Our new website has been further enhanced to provide a platform through which we can announce these deals to members for their rapid action. We have deals loaded already with more to be loaded over the next few days.

We will continue to email members about preferred supplier relationships, seasonal offers and new category offers.  The new website platform is for hot deals which are for a limited time – the types of deals you will want to place in a high traffic area of your newsagency to show that you have great deals like the big guys.

Only members will be able to access these newsXpress exclusive deals.

Great ink deals in Lismore NSW

4th-feb-006.jpgLuke Scott and the team at newsXpress Scott’s Lismore are pleased to have the offers and resources of newsXpress to help drive their business.  As their front window shows, they are leveraging the newsXpress ink offer to make a bold statement they they are the INK AND TONER DESTINATION in Lismore.

The newsXpress philosophy is provide access to good product at competitive prices, to support this with professional national marketing and to provide in-store face to face advice on execution.  Luke and the team have embraced all these newsXpress deliverables to drive an excellent ink and toner offer for everyone in Lismore and surrounding areas.  The result is excellent growth for the business through Christmas and January.  What a great business story!

newsXpress appoints single national ink supplier

newsXpress has announced the first of several new initiatives in the ink and toner space for its member newsagents planned for 2009.  Tonnex International has been appointed the preferred supplier of ink and toner to newsXpress members.

Trading under the newsXpress created and owned Hot Ink! brand, ink has developed into a key category for our stores.  We support this through national TV advertising, a national letterbox campaign and creative in-store POS and other collateral to drive excellent sales.

newsXpress further supports Hot Ink! with back office services heloing our members access the wisdom our our network of successful newsagents in this category.

New national confectionery deal for newsXpress newsagents

newsXpress has announced new and valuable commercial terms for the supply of leading brand name confectionery to newsXpress member newsagencies.  This new relationship opens new products, better margin and a new supply channel to newsXpress members.  It has been negotiated by our National Merchandise team, a group dedicated to delivering the best value possible to our members.

National advertising helps newsXpress newsagents

nxp_blogjan2009.jpgnewsXpress has undertaken more national advertising, across four separate campaigns, over the last year than any newsagency marketing group.

Our national advertising on TV and print, drives traffic to newsXpress newsagencies and reinforces the value of our national brand to suppliers and landlords. This focus on national advertising is behind the latest ad we are running in newsagency channel trade journals.

Our in-house creative team has developed the ad to reflect the value of our advertising and the different approach we take to getting our message across.

Trent Shields, newsXpress’ national Marketing Manager, felt that ads to newsagents ought to reflect the vitality and fresh approach of the group. Watch out in the Queensland Newsagent and National Newsagent for these new ads from newsXpress.

New uniform supplier for newsXpress

After months of exhaustive research and trials, newsXpress has appointed a new uniform supplier. This new supplier has made available a range of newsXpress branded uniforms for our members and their teams to wear in-store to proudly represent the brand.

From behind the counter to the back of the shop we are positioned to present a professional and consistent face across our newsagent marketing group nationally.

Valentine’s Power End (part 2)

powerend.jpgThe visual merchandising team at our newsXpress Frankston location have made excellent use of the Hallmark and newsXpress marketing collateral – built around the free Sunbeam coffee machine being given away to one lucky customer. Like many newsXpress stores, the team has bought well from newsXpress suppliers, choosing appropriately for their specific demographic.

For seasons like Valentine’s Day, newsXpress provide a range of options for members and they select according to their local needs. We understand that there are times when a consistent national range and price is important and times when local needs take precedence. newsXpress is flexible in its approach and puts the needs of our members first.

Valentine’s Power End (part 1)

2nd-feb-008.jpgPhil and Wendy Banks at newsXpress Glendale have a reputation in their region for gifts. They have built this carefully by attending trade shows and listening to their customers. Phil and Wendy were at the Reed Gift Fair in Melbourne this weekend – already planning for later this year. Back at their shop, their Valentine’s Day marketing was in full swing. They have a brand new range of gifts and are using the newsXpress marketing collateral (provided through our new website) to good effect.

Welcome to newsXpress

We are thrilled to welcome six new members to newsXpress today, February 1, 2009.

  • newsXpress Sorrento Quay, WA
  • newsXpress Sandgate, QLD
  • newsXpress Maryborough, VIC
  • newsXpress Fourways, TAS
  • newsXpress Toronto, NSW
  • newsXpress Cooma, NSW

We will work closely with these new members to help them bring newsXpress rewards to their businesses and to unlock ways they can contribute to other members.

Growing nationally is important to us and to the goals we have for our group and our members.

If you want to achieve more from your newsagency, consider newsXpress.  Use the contact us page on our website to enquire.