June, 2011 | newsXpress Blog

Promoting the newsXpress Phone Card as a Gift

The newsXpress Phone Card is proving to be popular as a gift in newsXpress stores.

While the newsXpress Phone Card sells well as a traditional phone card, it also sells well when offered as a very special gift … the gift of conversation between friends and loved ones. This is where engaged newsXpress members are driving extra business – selling the phone card to people who were not looking to purchase a phone card but were shopping for a gift.

By selling personal and often heart-felt connection offered by the phone card, newsXpress members take the offer into a completely different space where there emotion is the gift and the connection. All of this is done proudly around the newsXpress brand.

New HOT Ink! Campaign Kicks Off

Today, June 11, 2011, is the start of a new HOT Ink! campaign across the newsXpress retail network. Our stores are offering brand name ink and toner at competitive prices and with an excellent margin. We are supporting the HOT Ink! campaign with catalogues delivered to homes around newsXpress locations, in-store promotion and a range of other engagement.

Thanks to support from major ink and toner brands and our wholesaler suppliers we are able to deliver a tremendously valuable traffic-driving campaign which sets newsXpress and its members apart.

newsXpress has been running ink campaigns since 2005. HOT Ink! continues to evolve and the latest campaign delivers excellent, valuable and differentiating initiatives.

Promoting Optus handsets at newsXpress Fernvale

newsXpress Fernvale promotes their range of Optus handsets out the front of the newsagency with this tactically located display at the entrance to the business in a location passed by customers heading to purchase Golden Casket lottery tickets.

The display unit is provided by Jenlist, a newsXpress preferred supplier. Jenlist generously supports newsXpress and its members with access to competitive product and valuable insights with which to turn this product than might otherwise be the case.

By selling Optus handsets and SIM cards, newsXpress Fernvale is able to access better commission for Optus mobile recharge business … making the Optus / Jenlist even more valuable for newsXpress Fernvale.

The stand in the photo is just one of a range of Optus product display cabinets available to newsXpress members through Jenlist. At the other end of the scale is the store within a store concept where a newsXpress store takes on the full range of Optus products and services. We have newsXpress stores which have taken on this and are enjoying valuable new business as a result.

Preparing for HOT ink! at newsXpress Gatton

newsXpress Gatton has refreshed their ink offer in advance of the latest newsXpress exclusive HOT ink! ink and toner campaign which kicks off tomorrow in newsXpress stores right across the country.

Refreshing the range based on local sales trends and in line with advice provided surrounding each HOT ink! offer is something all proactive newsXpress members do, to make the most of each HOT ink! marketing campaign.

Thanks to support from our three supplying wholesalers and national brands such as Epson and HP, newsXpress members are able to offer brand name ink and toner at competitive prices. Key to success with this is a well stocked and laid out display.

Mid Year Gift Sale at newsXpress Bairnsdale

newsXpress Bairnsdale has been running a Mid Year Gift Sale, using newsXpress provided collateral on their street front window to promote this.

The professionally designed collateral is part of the newsXpress Marketing Toolkit launched to newsXpress members earlier this year. This is the most comprehensive set of marketing tools ever created for newsagents. It is exclusive to newsXpress.

The team at newsXpress Bairnsdale has made excellent use of the collateral to promote their Mid Year Gift Sale, seizing the opportunity to clear out stock.

Sesame Street Stand Drives Sales

The Sesame Street lamp post stand from newsXpress preferred supplier Jasnor is delivering excellent sales results for newsXpress members. It delivers a more creative and flexible way of promoting the wonderful range of Sesame Street plush from Jasnor.

newsXpress stores are using the stand to drive good impulse business, leveraging existing good newsXpress traffic thanks to tactical placement in high traffic locations in store.

Sourcing good products, like this Sesame Street lamp post unit, is part of the newsXpress merchandise story. Helping members make the most of the opportunity is the other part and this is where newsXpress goes beyond the traditional newsagency marketing group.

The photo is from the Sesame Street stand we have at our corporate newsXpress Knox store. In just two weeks sales have been excellent … great incremental business. At our Watergardens corporate store we sold, including the stand itself – such is the love of Sesame Street.

Magazing Display of the Week: newsXpress Upper Coomera

Congratulations to newsXpress Upper Coomera for this excellent display promoting the Ferrari part series. While the photo is a few weeks old, we considered the display well worth the attention of a Magazine Display of the Week feature here at our newsXpress blog. Well done to everyonee for creating this well located and visually engaging display.

newsXpress Laidley Recovers From Flood Damage

Following severe damage to the business in the Queensland floods earlier this year, newsXpress Laidley has rebuilt and created a fresh business for local Laidley shoppers. The photo shows the new card department at newsXpress Laidley, decked out with an excellent range of cards from Hallmark as well as showing off some of the gifts now available from the business. As experienced by many in flood affected Queensland, it has been a tough five months for the team at Laidley. They have come through with good cheer and a determination to make the most of what nature dealt them.

newsXpress Branding at the Sales Counter

More newsXpress stores are using LCD customer displays at the sales counter to reinforce store branding. The same displays are also being used for advertising during sales and promotions between sales. Using smart customer displays in this way is another advertising and promotion channel for newsXpress and its community of preferred suppliers.

There is good evidence to show that appropriate promotions at the point of sale can drive impulse purchases and extend the shopping basket.

Gifts on show at newsXpress Manly West

newsXpress Manly West has this terrific range of beach themed gifts from newsXpress preferred supplier Gibson on show.

This excellent range of gifts is selling well in newsXpress stores, especially when pitched together in a good traffic location as is the case at Manly West.

The beach range is selling to a diverse range of shoppers for a variety of occasions. This is part of the appeal to our retailers – the range fits well in among the gift mix.

newsXpress Radio Makes Retail in newsXpress Stores More Enjoyable and Valuable

newsXpress Radio delivers live news, fresh music, live banter and exclusive advertising into newsXpress stores right across Australia.

Exclusive to newsXpress, newsXpress Radio is an excellent advertising platform for newsXpress preferred suppliers, connecting shoppers with products available in store – right then.

Leveraging the in store experience with live radio is proving to be a smart move for newsXpress. Our radio programmers have been smart to program music which suits the time of the day, making shopping more enjoyable.

newsXpress is delivering newsXpress radio to newsXpress locations for no cost except for a refundable deposit on the radio reception unit.

This is another newsXpress difference – free in-store radio backed by advertising of products which are available in newsXpress stores.

newsXpress Announces Year-Long Exclusive TV Campaign

newsXpress two weeks ago confidentially announced to its members details of a year-long TV campaign on the GEM network (part of the Nine Network) covering Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth.

The TV advertising will be made up of multiple professionally produced advertisements promoting newsXpress offers and opportunities available at newsXpress locations through the year.

The TV campaign will be supported with print advertising as well as catalogues delivered to millions of homes through the course of the year.

This national advertising is exclusive to newsXpress and will only promote newsXpress newsagencies.

As major brands use TV and other media to promote and strengthen their brands. With this announcement, newsXpress is demonstrating that it too is investing in stronger and more valuable newsXpress newsagency businesses around its national and respected brand.

Landlords and newsagency suppliers who have been briefed are full of praise for the newsXpress leadership through this initiative.

This is the first time ever that a newsagency marketing group has committed to TV for a year. In the past, the most TV used for newsagents was around short term seasonal offers. Such campaigns are challenged as they need to reconnect with consumers.

The investment by newsXpress is well into six figures. It is not costing newsXpress members any additional fees. newsXpress does not charge a marketing levy.

The year-long TV presence for newsXpress pitches our group outside the newsagency channel and against major retailers. We see this as vital in today’s retail climate.

It is the discipline an commitment of newsXpress members around one brand and supporting newsXpress preferred suppliers which enables us to move into a national TV campaign with confidence.

The newsXpress commitment to regular TV advertising, comprising of more than 4,000 commercials, separates newsXpress from other marketing group. It shows a significant difference in respect for and management of a national brand. It also shows what a group of like-minded pro-active newsagents can achieve.

Development of the first TV commercial is under way. It will hit the air in July.

Foxtel and Austar also carry GEM, enabling a wider than capital city reach in the cities covered by the campaign.

Magazing Display of the Week: newsXpress Wetherill Park

Congratulations to newsXpress Wetherill Park for such a terrific magazine display promoting the latest issue of Good Health magazine.

This bold display is excellent as a display. What makes it even beetter is its location – it is at the entrance to the main magazine aisle in the newsagency and will therefore be passed by the majority of shoppers.

Another benefit is that the display includes stock which can be selected right then.

If you check the photo you can see that the newsXpress Wetherill Park team is using the side of a drinks fridge to host this display … very clever.

Well done to everyone involved in creating this display.

No Marketing Levy

newsXpress does not charge a marketing levy. Members pay one monthly membership fee for this they receive access to the full suite of newsXpress member services including the most extensive suite of newsagency marketing support and collateral available in Australia.

Not charging an extra fee for marketing positions newsXpress favorably against other newsagency marketing groups. Giving members access to TV and other marketing and advertising campaigns for no additional cost, as newsXpress does for many campaigns, is a valuable point of difference for newsXpress members.

newsXpress Leadership Team Planning for 2012

The newsXpress leadership team of Ben Kay, Graham Randall and Mark Fletcher met recently in Perth to review 2011 so far and to start planning for 2012. With membership and preferred supplier numbers growing, 2012 is set to be another good year for the group. Key to making the most of opportunities from our community of proactive newsagents and supportive suppliers is careful planning.

newsXpress Supports Tasmanian Newsagents

newsXpress is proud to be a Gold Sponsor of The Tasmanian Newsagent Industry Awards for Excellence 2011 which are being held tonight at Wrest Point Casino in Hobart.

Our gold sponsorship is a practical measure of support for all newsagents in Tasmania.

With a growing membership base in Tasmania, newsXpress is grateful of the opportunity to show its support for Tasmanian newsagents in such a practical way.

Ben Kay, newsXpress General Manager, will be presenting an award on the night.

Timely Retro Marketing Collateral for newsXpress Newsagents

newsXpress has launched two exclusive retro themed posters as part of its ever expanding newsagency marketing toolkit.

Using this collateral, newsXpress members are able to professionally support displays of retro products which can be accessed from a range of newsXpress suppliers – and there are plenty of retro products available from our supportive preferred suppliers.

The new exclusive to newsXpress retro marketing collateral can be accessed from the member area of the newsXpress website. It is part of the most comprehensive marketing toolkit ever created for newsagents in Australia.

Books Growing at newsXpress Wetherill Park

newsXpress Wetherill Park is expanding their book offer in response to opportunities following the closure of Angus and Robertson in their shopping centre. Thanks to great deals from newsXpress preferred suppliers, they have been able to respond to the opportunity with a good selection of books from fiction to children’s to non fiction.

Presenting books in a prime traffic location where the range is easily seen by most customers entering the newsagency, the Wetherill Park team is driving excellent results in the expanded category.

My Family Stickers at newsXpress Melton

newsXpress Melton, like so many newsXpress stores, has been promoting the My Family sticker range from The Sticker Family. Promoting at the front of their newsagency as they are doing, newsXpress Melton is finding that the promotion attracts shoppers to the newsagency, new traffic. It also drives good basket-building business from existing shoppers.

Thanks to the promotional pull-up banner and other collateral, newsXpress locations selling the My Family stickers are enjoying excellent success with this range. One newsXpress member recently included the range as part of an outpost campaign and sold in excess of $3,000 worth of stickers in less than two weeks.

newsXpress Halls Head Wins Cash Award

newsXpress Halls Head won $500 cash for supporting trade suppliers as the newsXpress Trade Fair held in Perth earlier this week. All newsXpress members buying on the day went in the draw and newsXpress halls Head were the lucky winners of a handy $500 in tax free cash. The cash prize brought another fun element to the day.