Month: March 2013

Newsagency marketing group newsXpress shows brands matter

peppaNewsagency marketing group newsXpress continues to lead in the newsagency channel in the engagement with and leverage of world known brands to drive traffic and shopper efficiency. The latest brand success for newsXpress members is the highly popular Peppa Pig.

Peppa Pig is huge overseas and here in Australia with kids and families. newsXpress saw this early on and engaged with members as product opportunities expanded.

newsXpress has sourced Peppa Pig product and provided members with context information to help them make the most of the opportunity. Great buying, market intelligence and merchandising advice combine to make an excellent financial windfall opportunity for newsXpress members.

This is what newsXpress does … adding value of proven brands to maximise success opportunities for newsXpress members.

More training videos from newsXpress newsagency marketing group

nxhelpNewsagency marketing group newsXpress continues to innovate in training it provides to newsagents and their employees with another video added to our training library. In How newsXpress can help you, we share details of the resources made available by newsXpress for newsXpress members to help them make the most from engagement with the group. The video is further demonstration of how newsXpress focuses on accessibility of knowledge and services for newsXpress members.

Professionally produced, the video is another wonderful resource to help members make the most of the opportunity.

Easter Beanie Ball a hit for newsXpress newsagency marketing group

easterbeanibnewsXpress corporate store newsXpress Knox City is enjoying extraordinary success with this cute little Beanie Ball from preferred supplier Big Balloon. It is the top selling Easter item, selling from the shop floor display in excellent numbers.

Indeed, the success of the Easter themed Beanie Ball demonstrates the value of playing against predictability for a major season. While others at Knox City have big range of eggs, newsXpress Knox City has made Easter about plush and is enjoying excellent sales as a result. It is especially pleasing seeing shoppers walk across the mall to see the display and then purchase.

newsXpress concept store attracts newsagents looking for the newsagency of the future

nxsthlOur latest concept store reflecting a creative, exciting and flexible shop fit is attracting plenty of interest in the newsagency channel. Plenty of newsagents and newsagent suppliers have been to the store to see the innovation for themselves.

This new business, which continues to evolve in response to data tracking and shopper feedback, reflects considerable investment by newsXpress in developing intellectual property.

Some come and visit and try and photograph our ideas while others introduce themselves and talk about what we are doing. We’re happy to share to a point, keeping the golden information for newsXpress members and strategic partners only.

This new location and all corporate stores are where newsXpress experiments, to harness learnings for newsXpress members.

Optimism helps drive retail sales for newsXpress

optimismMany newsXpress members have embraced optimism as a theme in their product purchasing at recent gift fairs and the toy fair in Melbourne. By bringing in products that reflect optimism in words and images the newsXpress members are creating happy shops … happy shops make for happy customers.

Optimism is infectious. It plays out well for the shoppers and the business. We encourage all newsXpress members to make the conscious choice to play in this space of optimism – it’s better than playing the price game as history has shown chasing a price point difference to be a mugs game with little shopper loyalty and no long-term upside for the business.

newsXpress thinks about moves like this carefully and shares insights designed to help members to make the most of moods like optimism. The result is good for our member businesses, suppliers and, most important, shoppers.

Messages of optimism sell.

newsXpress members enjoy AFL & NRL Beanie Kid success

beanieanThanks to smart buying and front of store placement, newsXpress members are enjoying success with the AFL and NRL Beanie Kids stands. Placed next to each other creates a noticeable display often appealing to the same shopper.

Even in markets where one or the other of the high-profile codes is not the main code the beanie Kids are selling well. They are being purchased by collectors as well as others buying for family and friends who are fans.

The success of the AFL and NRL ranges speak to the power of the Beanie Kids brand at special interest times as well as their value at introducing people to Beanie Kid collection … they are wonderful opportunity for newsXpress members to educate shoppers to this collector opportunity.

The importance of magazines to today’s newsagency

nxmagsnewsXpress is proving the importance of magazines as a net traffic generator yet managing the floorspace allocation to drive the best possible financial efficiency for the business. In our latest corporate store, following the principles we have been espousing for some time, we have been able to deliver a consumer-satisfying experience while ensuring maximum floorspace for higher margin product to be offered to magazine shoppers.

Getting the floorspace balance right is key to driving the GP$ outcome.

newsXpress respects magazines with a considered and layered strategy to drive traffic, facilitate basket depth and ensure a cost-effective range. The newsXpress magazine strategy is available to members as part of our membership deliverables – demonstrating our understanding of the value of magazines in today’s newsagency, in way that provides flexibility for tomorrow.

Hong Kong Gift Fair buying trip opportunity for newsagency marketing group members

newsXpress is participating in the Hong Kong Gift Fair again this year and has opened participating to newsXpress members to join the buying delegation.

Tapping into relationships developed over recent years and considering emerging trends, this trade show is a mixture of business negotiation and opportunity sourcing.

newsXpress members benefited significantly from last year’s trip.

An invitation was extended to newsXpress members last week to join this year’s mission. In Hong Kong participants will see more than 4,000 trade show booths as well as enjoy an opportunity of meeting key Australian and overseas suppliers.

This trip also helps us help existing suppliers to understand what we like from their supplier portfolios.

Trip details will be finalised in the next two weeks.

newsXpress launches training videos

As announced at the newsXpress national conference last week, we have completed production on ten new training videos. These are the next step of an expanded training suite of services from newsXpress for newsXpress members, delivering access to  a growing resource you will be able to use to share with your team members and to use yourself. Our feeling is that video based training will be appreciated because of the flexibility you will have in tapping into the resources as and when it suits you.

Produced by us in house, these latest videos reflect a new skill set within the newsXpress team. They also demonstrate a platform we will use to deliver some training previously delivered by RDMs. Some of these videos reflect content from the conference. The two on outposting cover content we had to eliminate on the day because of time over-runs. Here are the new videos available to you:

  1. Planning for 2020
  2. Who is newsXpress?
  3. Getting Started With Outposting
  4. Practical Tips For Outposting
  5. Getting Started With Candy Lanes
  6. NXP Benchmarks
  7. Business Assessment
  8. Getting Started With Visual Merchandising
  9. Post Xmas NXP Comm
  10. newsXpress communication December 2012

Please share with newsXpress your feedback at help@newsxpress. Also,let us know other topics you would like to see covered.

Business roundtable focuses on newsXpress member business growth

On the day after our national conference in Melbourne last week, one of the optional activities was a half-day business round table discussion in the boardroom of our head office.

Here, twelve newsXpress members got to talk about business, their businesses and retail in general.

This was a practical and confidential business discussion designed to get more newsXpress members sharing with and helping each other. It worked a treat with heartfelt sharing in a confidential environment, providing opportunities for taking on new ideas and opportunities.

That we were able to bring together a diverse group of newsXpress members was appreciated as everyone has a different perspective to contribute to the overall discussion.

This is another newsXpress initiative – helping members more effectively and valuable network with each other without it costing anything and without suppliers pressuring members to spend money. This was pure business … and opportunity warmly embraced and appreciated.

newsXpress members love Melbourne retail tour

nxknxThe day after the newsXpress national conference in Melbourne last week, a group of newsXpress members and a team from our head office visited a range of retail stores in Melbourne including newsXpress stores – checking out new retail trends and seeing how some are growing their business performance through non-traditional shop floor engagement. In all we had three groups touring.

This newsXpress hosted post-conference tour was another benefit flowing from the national conference … letting newsXpress members from outside Melbourne see businesses we think are making good moves and learning from the work they are doing.

The tour was all about chasing above average business performance – making your newsagency business more valuable as a result. By providing in-store context for some of what was covered at the conference we were able to help participating newsXpress members see new opportunities for their businesses without having to spend big on structural change.

Toy Fair suppliers love newsXpress members!

toyfThe newsXpress buying tour of the Toy Fair in Melbourne last week resulted in preferred suppliers writing excellent business. Moving sometimes as a large group and other times in smaller groups, newsXpress members looked at new product and tapped into exclusive deals – providing access to sought after product at excellent prices. Tapping into a price point competitive edge made the buying day valuable for all.

It is this type of trade show co-ordinated buying pioneered by newsXpress at successive toy and gift fairs that has enabled our group to become the group preferred by many suppliers to the newsagency channel. they love our support of their trade show events rather than hauling them around the country to buying days only for our members.

By helping suppliers leverage their existing trade show commitments we get to see a broader range of stock as well as tapping to newsXpress member exclusive opportunities.

This is the newsXpress difference in action – supporting suppliers and newsXpress members into making more money through smarter buying. This is the new way to do business.

newsXpress conference provides relaxation opportunities

conf2013bThe newsXpress conference in Melbourne last week was capped with a very different evening of celebration. rather than the formality of a dinner, we decided to party by the Yarra in a five-star venue offering gourmet food, top self drinks and a stunning view of the Yarra River, a place where we could relax without the need for speeches and the like.

It was great to see team members on the dance floor, belting out a tune on the mic and mingling to newsXpress members. Many kicked on after the formal evening ended at midnight.

We greatly appreciate the support of our strategic partners hallmark cards and Pacific magazines and our preferred supplier community for helping to make this evening a wonderful reality.

What a wonderful few days, full of optimism and 100% in pursuit of helping newsXpress members derive greater value and enjoyment form their businesses.

newsXpress conference a hit with newsXpress members

conf2013Two hundred people packed the member’s dining room of the MCG in Melbourne earlier this week for the newsXpress national conference. It was a jam-packed day with on-topic speakers, excellent product opportunities and exclusive newsXpress initiatives.

Feedback from members to the conference in the days since has been excellent, inspiring. Here is a sample of the feedback from members so far:

Many thanks for your hospitality over conference. Thank you for all of the hard work that is put in, in order to provide better buying and opportunity for the group.

There is no doubt that the industry has changed and the business operators need to change with the customers taste and demand and anyone who does not see that and who does not want to participate and support the NewsXpress team should consider whether they should actually be a part of the team.

Whether it is a Franchise or a Marketing Group, it requires consistency and compliance across the group with a vision that they can all see and work towards.

Keep up the good work.

…..

I’m just writing to thank you sincerely for an outstanding National Conference.

It was what I call a “Pattern Interrupt” and “Change of State” message for all Newsagents. The day was chock full of information, data and ideas  and I look very forward to receiving the videos …especially the one on Mark’s very thought provoking spread sheet of a new NXP business transitioning through to 2020.

Having had my own international seminar business for 17 years when we would have between 1000 and 8000 attendees at our sales, marketing, business and personal development 1 day events, I know first-hand the time and effort that goes into running any conference.

Congratulations on an excellent event.

…..

WOW! What a great event. Inspirational.  Thank you newsXpress!

…..

The leadership you are providing newsXpress members and all newsagents is fantastic. Keep it up, we are changing our business thanks to you and, yes, we are making more money.

…..

It was a struggle to get time to come to Melbourne but I am so glad I did. You have helped me fall in love with my business again. I am so excited by what you showed us and the ideas I know will work in my newsagency.

…..

Great conference!

I appreciated your transparency and the excellent business opportunities I have come away with.

 

Yes, it was an excellent event, one we could not have pulled off without the support of our two strategic partners –  Pacific Magazines and Hallmark Cards and our supportive community of preferred suppliers – who wrote some excellent business on the day … by the way – and our team of wonderful people in newsXpress who work tirelessly for the group.

Easter marketing collateral grabs attention

nxeaster2013The exclusive Easter marketing collateral from newsXpress grabs attention in colour rich newsagency businesses thanks to the egg yellow colour.

The collateral also works as a bit of fun thanks to the play on words.

Easter continues to be a growing season for newsXpress members with excellent card sales as well as good gift and egg sales.

This collateral is designed to help drive additional traffic for the Easter opportunity in-store.

Strong newsXpress buying contingent at Toy Fair

nxtoynewsXpress is leading the way at Melbourne Toy Fair again this year with a large group of newsXpress members meeting up to visit suppliers at the Fair.

Planned well in advance with appointments for a range of suppliers, the group had a terrific day of buying and networking, making the most of a newsXpress exclusive commercial opportunity.

newsXpress continues to lead the marketplace with group buying initiatives like this, getting better deals for members and exclusive access with some key toy suppliers.

Hallmark AFL cards feature in newsXpress conference gifts

nxgiftshmknewsXpress members attending our national conference in Melbourne this week are receiving samples of the Hallmark AFL greeting card range in a special gift pack.

Each attendee will be given a gift pack from Hallmark and additional information to leverage more success from this high-profile licence product from Hallmark.

It’s appropriate that the Hallmark AFL packs will be handed out at the MCG, the chapel of AFL in Melbourne. While there is sure to be debate over teams, the real winners will be newsXpress members and hallmark thanks to the sales that will flow.

newsXpress helps newsagents promote St Patrick’s Day

newsXpress has provided members with promotional material with which they can connect with St Patrick’s Day celebrations and product sale opportunities.

For small seasonal opportunities as well as large, newsXpress is helping members make the most of opportunities, tapping into  existing traffic as well as attracting new shoppers with fresh collateral in a variety of sizes and formats.

This collateral is provided to all newsXpress members.

newsXpress helps newsagents make their businesses more valuable.