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The value of newsXpress

We are building excellent evidence of the value of the regular face to face meetings our Business Development Managers have with newsXpress members as part of their membership of our group.

Beyond excellent product deals and overall great buying, our newsXpress BDMs work with each newsXpress member to build healthier and more sustainable businesses. The evidence shows that engagement has its rewards. In one case, a newsXpress member points to new revenue streams and a healthier bottom line thanks to regular in-store visits. As he says, he can “bank” the value of the visits.

This is the evidence of the newsXpress difference working.

HOT Ink! trademark approved

newsXpress has received approval for the HOT Ink! ^TM trademark. This is an important recognition for this unique brand under which newsXpress members sell branded ink and toner at highly competitive prices.

Gaining trademark approval was an important part of our plans for the future use of this sub brand within our retail network. It is also evidence of our attention to detail around our assets.

the next HOT Ink! campaign is coming soon. This will provide newsXpress members with another opportunity to compete with national retailers in the ink and toner space and drive additional traffic to newsXpress locations.

Crayola joins newsXpress as preferred supplier

newsXpress is pleased to welcome Crayola as a preferred supplier to members of our group. Crayola is an international market-leading brand in the arts and crafts space and provides newsXpress stores with a complete product offering across their entire range – all available through the GNS warehouses nationally.

GNS Market fair attracts proactive newsagents

newsXpress has had an excellent two days at the GNS Market Fair in Melbourne. Our stand represented the newsXpress difference, our commitment to partnership in building the businesses owned by our members. This is done through excellent product deals. The most important work, however, is done through working with newsXpress owned on their businesses. The newsXpress strategy in this area is unique. It is why we are not for everyone – not all newsagents want to work their businesses to their fullest. For our part, we want proactive newsagents – we are glad to have met some over the last two days in Melbourne.

The brief for the designers of our stand was to show our strength, professionalism and commitment. This mean that we needed more than the usual posters on the wall that one sees at industry trade shows. Our wallpaper was specifically designed to reflect the brief and show the newsXpress difference.

We are grateful to GNS for the opportunity to present at their Market Fair in Melbourne.

Save money on Women’s Weekly and Good Health at newsXpress

newsXprss is pleased to be working with ACP Magazines on a promotion of the latest issue of Australian Women’s Weekly and Good Health as a special deal for our customers. The $2.80 saving will be enjoyed by newsXpress customers. We have arranged for marketing collateral from ACP for newsXpress members to support this marketing initiative in-store.

The goal is to test opportunities like this in newsagencies. ACP has already run similar campaigns in other retail channels.

newsXpress launches Lotto superdraw syndicates

newsXpress has launched two group syndicates for the Lotto superdraw on September 12. Available through participating newsXpress locations in Queensland, the two syndicates welcome customers to a bigger community in pursuit of a share of the $20 million first division.

newsXpress newsagents use these large syndicates to attract bigger gamblers and build their position as a destination for key games. Our data shows that these customers are valuable for other sales.

The newsXpress superdraw strategy is all about building balance from lottery revenue in the business. The more diverse the consumer appeal the more consistent the growth of the business. Syndicates are something retailers can own and sell to compete with online lottery sales.

newsXpress merchandise team at Melbourne Gift Fair

Several members of the newsXpress merchandise team have spent the last three days at the Melbourne Gift Fair looking at new product, meeting with suppliers and hosting members looking at gift opportunities at the Fair. A large range of products have been assessed by newsXpress on behalf of members.

The results of this considerable effort will be evident in offers coming out exclusively for newsXpress members over the next few months.

newsXpress is having considerable success in guiding its members into the gift space. Sales are showing that we are making good buying choices which are helping our members increase sales and deliver better margin balance to the business.

At GNS Market Fair in Melbourne

newsXpress is pleased to be exhibiting at the GNS Market Fair in Melbourne this weekend. We will be talking with Victorian newsagents about how the newsXpress model helps newsagents make more from traditional business lines while growing the business into new traffic and new money opportunities. The stand itself will show off the newsXpress professionalism and commitment to leadership of proactive newsagents.

Father’s Day collateral from newsXpress

To supplement Hallmark collateral for Father’s Day, newsXpress has sent each store stock of our own double-sided professionally printed A1 poster promoting this season.

This collateral is designed to be used in association with Father’s day gifts. The collateral has bee delivered to newsXpress members at no cost to them – as part of the overall service and assistance from newsXpress.

newsXpress Maryborough sells winning Lotto ticket

Ross & Sheryl Forster from newsXpress Maryborough in Victoria sold a 1st division winning ticket in Saturday’s 20 million superdraw. This is a great win because they know the winner and say it’s well deserved.

Melbourne Gift Fair support

newsXpress is hosting a tour of key suppliers at the Melbourne Gift Fair for newsXpress members. The tour will include newsXpress preferred suppliers as well as several other key suppliers of interest to newsXpress members looking to expand their gift offer. The tour taps into the considerable gift expertise among the newsXpress team.

newsXpress is also hosting evening drinks for newsXpress members attending the fair. This will be on Sunday evening at Crown Casino. Please contact newsXpress for details of this event.

newsXpress Gympie sells $250,000 scratchie prize

Warrick Hocking and the great team at newsXpress Gympie are celebrating thanks to one of their customers winning $250,00, the top prize in a recent Golden Casket instant scratch-it game. $250,000 is a great win! newsXpress is enjoying a run of luck in instant scratch ticket sales and celebrating with a display in-store helps build on that luck.

Helping newsagents find new customers

newsXpress is hosting the national conference open to all newsagents this year – in Melbourne in October. We have secured WORLD CLASS SPEAKERS who will present newsagents attending with practical immediate-benefit ideas on finding new traffic, new customers, for their newsagencies.

With traditional traffic challenged thanks to a migration online and competition from other retailers, it is vitally important that newsagents have a strategy of new traffic generation. This national conference will present opportunities for newsagents to take time out of their businesses and explore new ideas.

Newsagents wanting to grow their businesses, network with proactive colleagues and connect with retail visionaries should consider attending this conference in Melbourne. Click here for a copy of the promotional fax we sent out yesterday.

Preorder the official Michael Jackson calendar from newsXpress

newsXpress has demonstrated the value it adds by sending out forms for taking pre-orders for copies of the Official Michael Jackson 2010 calendar. The order forms are in newsXpress newsagencies now and ready for customers to complete to secure their copy of what is expected to be a popular calendar.

This calendar offer is the newsXpress difference on show. We devised the idea, created the marketing collateral and provided this to our members in a very quick turnaround.

Our research suggests that we are the only retail group in Australia currently offering pre-orders for the Official Michael Jackson 2010 calendar. newsXpress members have an opportunity to lock in good business.

Newsagents ask why they should join one marketing group over another. What newsXpress has done with the Michael Jackson calendar is an excellent example of why they should join newsXpress. It demontstrates our ability to create an opportunity out of nothing (selling the calendars well before they arrive), our commitment to pursuing opportunities for our members and our focus on pursuing the newsXpress difference. The marketing collateral itself demonstrates our creativity at pitching to the consumer.

Importantly, our development of this opportunity demonstrates the newsXpress commitment to calendars and our calendarXpress sub-brand.

Some members have plans to distribute the order form as a flyer to attract new traffic.

This is another in-house project for newsXpress. As you might get from this blog post – we’re proud of another blue ocean opportunity for newsXpress members.

$200,000 Intralot win at newsXpress Yarram

Colin & Sharon from newsXpress Yarram sold a winning $5 Intralot scratch ticket and their lucky customer won $200,000! A cheque presentation was held in-store with the folks from Intralot late last week and good media coverage achieved.

A scratch ticket win like this, especially in a country town, can boost sales. newsXpress Yarram will make the most of the opportunity.

Opportunity to start a newsagency

newsXpress has been presented with three opportunities to create new newsagency businesses. Two in Sydney and one in Melbourne. The new Melbourne,location we blogged about two weeks ago has been picked up. We now have another – in an outer eastern centre where you would be alongside Dan Murphy, Aldi and Chemmart. The two Sydney locations are equally compelling and present excellent opportunities to anyone wanting to start a newsagency and connect with newsXpress, the marketing group committed to helping newsagents grow their businesses.

In each case, the landlord has approached newsXpress with the opportunity to create these businesses. We extended the offer to our members earlier this week and not make it more public for expressions of interest.

newsXpress launches $80 million Powerball Syndicate

newsXpress Queensland members have got together to support a newsXpress exclusive Powerball Syndicate for the $80 million up for grabs this Thursday. Based on two System 10 Powerhit tickets, the syndicate represents 22,680 games. Proactive newsXpress members quickly jumped on board for the opportunity. Tickets are already selling.

The buzz around this $80 million Powerball Jackpot is excellent in retail. newsXpress members are already having fun promoting and making the most of the unique opportunity.

For Arts Sake continues as preferred supplier

newsXpress welcomes For Arts Sake as a renewing preferred greeting card supplier to its group of 160 newsagencies.

The extended For Arts Sake newsXpress relationship wills see For Arts Sake cards, gifts and social stationery represented in more newsXpress retail locations.

“The unique range of For Arts Sake cards and other lines are a important in many newsXpress locations around Australia.” commented Graham Randall, Managing Director of newsXpress. “We are pleased to renew this relationship with For Arts Sake”

As a preferred supplier, For Arts Sake will be actively considered by newsXpress members in greeting card and related categories. The new relationship also provides For Arts Sake with access to newsXpress members at member meetings, Market Fairs and our National Conference in Melbourne in October.

“We are delighted to have this opportunity to work with such a proactive group of newsagents as we find at newsXpress. We are confident that our range will serve their businesses and their customer well.” said Richard McGilvray, General manager Sales For Arts Sake.

The newsXpress and For Arts Sake teams will start communicating details of the confidential offer to newsXpress members in the next week.

For Arts Sake distributes to over 5000 retail stores through out Australia and New Zealand and employs over 150 people. For Arts Sake is widely recognised as the largest Australian owned Greeting Card and Gift Company. In addition to its comprehensive Everyday card range For Arts Sake has a significant lifestyle range of cards and a comprehensive range of gift lines.