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

Exclusive Hallmark Gold Crown experience for newsXpress

A team of newsXpress members and management has been immersed in all things Hallmark and Las vegas over the last week as the guests of Hallmark at the Hallmark Gold Crown summit, a premium conference and networking event for Hallmark Gold Crown stores in the US.

From the accommodation at the Bellagio to the value-packed business sessions to the networking events to our own retail study experiences away from the conference, the takeaways from the week here will be long felt as we make the most of the opportunity to learn from others and reflect on the business model back in Australia.

The investment by newsXpress in learning about and from retail experiences overseas will help reinforce our point of difference corporately and at the store level.

New In Store Offers newsletter to promote newsXpress newsagency outlets

newsXpress provided its July In Store Offers newsletter to newsXpress members earlier this week, in time for end of month mailing.

Bringing together content from a range of suppliers, this newsletter has some excellent opportunities for newsXpress shoppers. It also reinforces the connection each newsXpress store has with its customers.

The big feature of the newsletter are two newsXpress exclusives: the One Direction 2013 calendar which will be in our stores ahead of others and the release of a funky, fun and practical gift for any iPhone or iPad user.

newsXpress provided the In Store Offers newsletter free to members every month in plenty of time for local marketing. It is provided in the form of a fillable PDF, a document that can be changed in-store to include store details – making this a personal newsletter for promoting the local newsXpress business.

newsXpress members engage with the newsletter in a range of ways including:

  • Placement on a stand at the entrance to the business.
  • On display at the counter.
  • In shopper bags with purchases.
  • Mailed with monthly accounts.
  • Delivered with product deliveries.

The content of the newsletter is coordinated with newsXpress radio to drive value from using multiple newsXpress exclusive touch points.

Promoting Hallmark recordable artwork

newsXpress newsagencies are promoting the latest interactive offer from Hallmark, the recordable artwork products.

The photo shows a display at newsXpress Knox, showing off the Hallmark recordable artwork product next to other Hallmark interactive items, Hallmark recordable storybooks and Hallmark story buddies and near the wonderful wall of Hallmark cards.

The interactive range from Hallmark has been a tremendous success for newsXpress stores right across Australia, delivering excellent sales and driving new traffic to our businesses.

Promoting AFL Beanie Kids at the counter

newsXpress Woden is promoting the AFL beanie Kids range at the sales counter with this excellent tactical placement.  The result is terrific sales in a marketplace which sees considerable competition for AFL products from NRL products.

The smart tactical placement by the team at newsXpress Woden is clearly working well for the business and for the AFL Beanie Kids range.

In addition to AFL Beanie Kids attracting shoppers, newsXpress Woden is attracting shoppers with a wonderful range of gifts on display in a window facing into the mall. Indeed, the gift offer managed by this business is one of the best in the newsXpress group.

Extraordinary Beanie Kids success challenges retailer assumptions

The up-take of Beanie Kids in newsXpress stores since our March national conference in Melbourne has seen a tripling of newsXpress members engaged with the range.

Sales are excellent. Once newsXpress location is selling, on average, $1,000 in Beanie Kids product a week, solely as a result of attending the conference and taking on board the insights from Skansen on the Beanie Kid opportunity.

It is one thing to negotiate deals for members and another to share insights and knowledge which can be leveraged into extraordinary sales.

One newsXpress member who resisted the Beanie Kid opportunity is shocked (in a good way) at the results. The sales success has been a reminder that he is not his customer.

From the successful AFL Beanie Kid range through to the full premium package, newsXpress members are driving excellent sales results for their businesses and for our commercial partner Skansen.

Exclusive greeting card management advice published

newsXpress has published to newsXpress members carefully considered advice on the management of the greeting card department for efficiency, sales and profit.

Developed solely by newsXpress and for the confidential and exclusive of newsXpress members, the greeting card management advice bring together into one place best practice advice on greeting cards. By following the advice, newsXpress members are set to benefit from a sales lift as well as valued gains in commercial efficiency.

With greeting cards playing a vital role in driving traffic and delivering sales for newsagencies, publishing this latest professional advice by newsXpress is timely. Already newsXpress members have responded with appreciation to the newsXpress initiative.

newsXpress members loving Father’s Day

The feedback from newsXpress members on the plans for Father’s Day 2012 has been fantastic. Members are excited for the EXCLUSIVE high-margin product we are bringing in with many stores ordering considerably more than the minimum supply quantity planned by the merchandise team.

Having a product no other retailer, let alone newsagency group, has is a plus. That this product will have wide appeal, is funky, is fun and is likely to be purchased in multiples is a real bonus.

The newsXpress back office team is thrilled with the positive support from newsXpress members and their embrace of the leadership opportunity being presented with Father’s Day 2012.

Promoting Men’s Health magazine

newsXpress Knox City in Victoria is promoting the latest issue of Men’s Health magazine from our friends at Pacific magazines with this column- based display facing shoppers as they enter the business. The free Azor razor that comes with the magazine is a wonderful gift and presents an excellent reason to newsXpress members to promote the title in such a high-traffic location.

Men’s Health is the premier title in the men’s health, sports and fitness magazine segment. It is the title which should always be in the best location in this section. It is a terrific title to act as a beacon – showing off where the section is in-store.

newsXpress urges newsXpress members, and others reading this blog, to promote Men’s Health in the usual location as well as a high traffic location – with newspapers, at the counter or in a feature display at the front of the shop – like at newsXpress Knox City. Men’s Health always responds with excellent sales.

Member meetings set to deliver genuine value to newsXpress members

The next round of newsXpress member meetings is just two weeks away and bookings are already strong for participation.

Key to this round of member meetings will be practical, newsXpress exclusive, advice which newsXpress members will be able to take back to their businesses and implement for the benefit of the business.

While excellent supplier deals will be enticing and the networking as valuable as ever, is the practical business-building advice to be shared in the business sessions which is set to give newsXpress members some prized take-aways for committing time to attend the member meetings.

newsXpress members can book to attend the member meetings through our website.

Windups a hit in newsXpress stores

newsXpress members are reporting excellent sales from the funky Wind Ups range which was recently released through one of our preferred suppliers.

Presented via a range of flexible merchandising options, Wind Ups attract shoppers when placed toward the front of the store as well as extending the shopping basket – given the impulse purchase nature of the toys.

Wind Ups look like kids products. We are seeing older people purchase them for kids as well as for themselves. There is an element of nostalgia to the range.  Some shoppers purchase them as gifts for pets – cats especially love them.

newsXpress not only negotiates access to excellent products at competitive prices, it provides insights and information that enables the product offers to be turned into sales.  This is a bankable difference newsXpress offers to members … insights which result in sales.

newsXpress is able to share with members details of how to access the Wind Ups and how to ensure you get maximum return from these fantastic products.

HOT ink! campaign on TV

the latest newsXpress HOT ink! promotion is running on TV nationally for the next two weeks. Promoting hero products and the overall catalogue, the TV campaign is part of the national TV marketing undertaken by newsXpress over the last year at no cost to newsXpress members.

As the only newsagency marketing group with a consistent national Tv presence, newsXpress is proud to be so boldly and professionally representing the brand for newsXpress members.

Hard keeping up with Beanie Boos

One newsXpress store carrying the Beanie Boos range is selling close to 40 of these cute little plush things a week. The key is the placement – at the front of the newsagency. they attract shoppers who might otherwise not have visited the business. They are also added to baskets of shoppers visiting for other purchases.

Sourced from one of our newsXpress preferred suppliers at promoted most recently at our national conference, the Beanie Boos range is proving to be a product hit for participating newsXpress members.

newsXpress has personal experience with the Beanie Boos range carrying it in our corporate stores with tremendous success.

Top secret product launch for Father’s Day

Last week, newsXpress announced details of a top secret product launch for newsXpress members for father’s Day this year. To be promoted on TV, through social media and a range of other outlets, this very special and highly sought after product is set to drive wonderful traffic for newsXpress members and deliver excellent sales.

More details on this exciting product will be announced to members this week.

newsXpress members are likely to receive calls from people pressing for more information. This is an opportunity to play them.

Financial year diary promotional collateral

newsXpress last week released collateral to newsXpress members for use in promoting the range of financial year diaries. Provided in two sizes for colour printing, the collateral is part of the newsXpress range of minor seasons collateral material which can be used to drive business growth.

The newsXpress exclusive collateral was designed to contrast to the relatively dark and monochromatic colours one usually sees for financial year diaries and thereby help draw attention to the range.

newsXpress member meetings help small business newsagents grow

newsXpress is hosting a round of member meetings early in July to showcase selected supplier products, share business growth insights and to provide newsXpress members an opportunity to network with other enwsXpress members.

The dates and details for the member meetings were provided to newsXpress members in private communication weeks ago.

newsXpress member meetings are wonderful opportunities. Participation for members is completely free. Occasionally we bring in other newsagents by invitation.

Here are the details:

  • Sydney – Tuesday 3rd July , 9.00am – 4.00pm  – Bonnie Doon Golf Club,Banks Ave, Pagewood, NSW
  • Melbourne – Thursday 5th July , 9.00am – 4.00pm Kooyong Tennis Club, 489 Glenferrie Road, Kooyong, VIC
  • Brisbane – Tuesday 10th July, 9.00am – 4.00pm – Brisbane Technology Park,1 Clunies Ross Court (off Miles Platting Road), Eight Mile Plains, QLD
  • Perth–Thursday 12th July 9.00am – 4.00pm – The Old Brewery,  173 Mounts Bay Road, Perth Western Australia.

Newsagents who are not members of newsXpress could contact newsXpress if they wished to participate and see how awe go about equipping and motivating newsXpress members for business growth and business enjoyment.

 

Promoting financial year diaries

Despite gloomy reports from some quarters, newsXpress members are enjoying good early sales from financial year diaries.

newsXpress Castle Towers is making the most of the opportunity with a product-focused display at the front of the newsagency facing into the shopping mall.

Range and brand are key to diary success … as newsXpress Castle Towers has focused on.