Author: mark

I am a Director of newsXpress, a marketing group for newsagents keen for a bright future. You can reach me on +61 418 321 338 or mark[at]towersystems.com.au

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.

newsXpress facilitates amazing gift fair experiences

newsXpress has hosted an excellent range of gift fair experiences for newsXpress members in Sydney this week.

From the massive gift fair at Darling Harbour to the excellent Home & Giving fair at Homebush and in between, newsXpress has had buying experts available for members – to help them make the most of the opportunity.

newsXpress merchandise experts have also been working with suppliers to negotiate new deals for newsXpress members and to bring new suppliers on board.

Over five days we have been singular in our focus – to strengthen commercial relationships that help newsXpress members make their businesses more financially successful and therefore more valuable.

Member feedback through the events has been excellent. We are all looking forward to banking the result.

newsXpress adds more preferred suppliers

newsXpress last week announced details of several new preferred suppliers in the art and gift related spaces.

The continued enhancement of our preferred supplier portfolio is an excellent point of difference for newsXpress members and well valued by the participating suppliers.

newsXpress preferred suppliers offer excellent pricing off genuine wholesale and not an inflated wholesale. They also bring insights to our members, enabling newsXpress stores to expand ranges and expand their business offerings.

While the preferred supplier relationship is about margin maximisation, it is even more importantly about money in the bank. We prefer to work with suppliers who help us sell more product sooner. cash is king and you only have cash when you see product.

We’re not announcing details of preferred suppliers here as it’s a competitive advantage for newsXpress.

newsXpress cares for the environment

nxinstoreThe latest issue of newsXpress INSTORE, our in-store customer newsletter, shows the commitment from newsXpress and newsXpress members for the environment.

In communicating with shoppers about our business and social engagement, newsXpress is showing care and practical engagement that is unique among newsagents.

In a range of business areas newsXpress stores are practically and consciously caring for the environment. The INSTORE news is communicating this not only to record the good works but to, subtly, encourage shoppers to engage too.

Our view is that we share the world not only for ourselves but for those who come next. Our newsletter offers this broader picture and demonstrates an engagement beyond mere commercial.

newsXpress wins on ink price comparison against majors

newsXpress has undertaken a comparison of the latest ink prices being promoted by the group and several major retailers and, you guessed it! … newsXpress wins on all but two or three products.

Beating major retailers like Officeworks and Big W who claim to offer the lowest prices is a major win for newsXpress and newsXpress members.

The challenge is we don’t have the budget to match the majors to tell the truth – that  right now for ink, newsXpress has very competitive prices on brand name ink.

newsXpress members are engaging with price comparisons locally and showing, in store and in store windows how they are beating the majors on price. This is a great local story – showing these businesses as places to save on an important and needed consumable item like ink.

This is the newsXpress difference.

Great customer feedback for Hallmark / newsXpress promotion

Here is an email just received at Hallmark from a shopper from newsXpress the Gap – expressing their delight at winning a coffee machine valued at $399 at the store as part of the newsXpress / Hallmark Valentine’s Day promotion:

This is just a small note of appreciation that will never show enough how grateful I am for winning the Hallmark Valentine’s Day Promotion Competition at The Gap Newsagency in Queensland.  I am not someone who enters a lot of competitions but when it was offered to me, I decided to participate.  I was, and am still, in complete shock at winning (and very excited as you can probably tell).

The prize, the Lavazza A Modo Mio, is amazing.  I did not have a coffee machine and have never owned a coffee machine.  I won the competition on Friday and have been making coffees all weekend.  I am still not very good at the milk but am determined to get it right!!  My husband says its great coffee.  His work has a Nespresso machine and he says this coffee is better.

My husband’s comment is that it is a gift that keeps on giving.  I bought him a wonderful Valentine’s Day card and now I get to make him wonderful coffee every day.

Again, thank you for everything!  You have one very excited and appreciative customer.

What a great response. newsXpress provides free access to newsXpress Hallmark outlets.

Helping newsagents drive greater success with greeting cards – another newsXpress exclusive

newsXpress continues to lead  the newsagency channel with best practice advice published to newsXpress members covering the management of greeting cards.

This latest advice empowers newsXpress members and their employees to manage cards for greater profit … helping them make even more money from this most important category in our businesses.

Developed entirely in-house and for the success of newsXpress members, this latest advice reflects today’s best practice and delivers to newsXpress members easy to follow and embrace tools to drive greeting card sales and account management.

This is another example of newsXpress actions matching our words … money in the bank for members.