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

Helping shoppers save on ink and toner

hot_ink_pricing.JPGnewsXpress offers comprehensive support to newsXpress newsagencies to drive ink and toner sales.  From external marketing to in-store messages, we offer a consistent pitch.  Take the shelf talkers, pictured.  Placed above our hero products, our HOT Ink! shelf talkers catch the eye and guide the shopper with certainty about price and brand.  They also reinforce the newsXpress brand.  The shelf talkers are provided free by newsXpress.

newsXpress members achieving the most from our ink offer embrace each touch-point: brochures, posters, shelf-talkers, range, plan a grams and staff training.

Great ink deals at newsXpress

hot_ink_brochure.JPGnewsXpress members are enjong excellent results from the latest HOT ink! promotion.  From brochures delivered to homes and offices around newsXpress locations to brochures displayed in-store (as in the photo), ink is selling well.  The key to success with ink is to engage with all aspects of the category.  newsXpress supports this with in-store marketing collateral, brochures, shelf talkers, exclusive product deals, VM strategies, product management advice and other help.

Small things matter, like having the HOT ink! brochure on display in the ink department.  This shows browsers the professionalism backing the product, products you may not have on the shelves and provides another pitch that you are competitive on price.

Ink (the newsXpress way) is proving to be an excellent trojan horse category.  One which, if executed well and consistently, attracts new customers who come back again and again.

HOT ink! is exclusive to newsXpress.

newsXpress Scott’s Lismore drive the STOCKTAKE SALE

scotts_lismore.jpgnewsXpress Scott’s Lismore on Woodlark Street Lismore are using the newsXpress STOCKTAKE SALE to good advantage by quitting stock in their Lismore store. Their customers have access to excellent bargains as the business prepares space for the second half of the year.

newsXpress is proud to have provided members with a comprehensive STOCKTAKE SALE strategy backed by professional collateral. We are equally proud to have the folks at Scott’s who embrace opportunities like this.

This is a newsXpress exclusive promotion.

Spirit cards joins newsXpress as a preferred supplier

We are pleased to welcome Spirit cards to newsXpress preferred supplier community. Spirit has a range of cards which compliment the ranges already carried in newsXpress outlets. The appointment as preferred supplier reflects a desire from newsXpress members to strategically expand the range of card suppliers with which newsXpress and its members interacts.

newsXpress superdraw syndicates set to sell out

The $20 million lotto superdraw syndicates for tonight’s bumper draw are set to sell out today.  newsXpress Golden Casket outlets have had an excellent week with great sales.  These newsXpress exclusive syndicates  are another way newsXpress members are networking otgether to work with Golden Casket and boost sales.

Good buying at newsXpress NSW Market Fair

nx_market_fair_syd.JPGOur NSW Market Fair and members meeting at Randwick Racecourse yesterday was another excellent buying and networking opportunity for newsXpress members. newsXpress suppliers have gone all out to pitch offers exclusive to newsXpress, offers which demonstrate the value they see in our newsagency group.

From shopfitters to stationery suppliers to card companies, newsXpress members had access to an excellent range of supplier offers – all connected with the newsXpress business development opportunity.

The Market Fair was preceded by a members meeting at which newsXpress outlined marketing and merchandise plans for the next quarter.

Sensational STOCKTAKE SALE collateral

nx_stocktakesale_coll.JPGnewsXpress has provided excellent marketing collateral for the 2009 STOCKTAKE SALE.

In addition to a pack of 24 double sided posters, newsXpress members have been provided with four page brochures and an implementation strategy.

Posters were provided free to newsXpress members.  Brochures had a small cost – newsXpress contributed to the cost of these as well.

The reaction from newsXpress newsagents to the STOCKTAKE SALE marketing collateral has been excellent.  They love the professionalism of the material and the direct and clear pitch being made.

The STOCKTAKE SALE provides newsXpress members with an excellent opportunity to move old stock and other stock purchased in especially for the event.   Packaged in with the event is several offers which enhance the value offered by our stores.  These range from free resume printing, to discounts on magazines and free wrap with a qualifying greeting card purchase.

This STOCKTAKE SALE is further evidence of newsXpress pursuing non-traditional and exciting opportunities for newsagents.  While we continue to support traditional seasons, we are more and more creating new opportunities for newsagents.

newsXpress newsagents are busy promoting their businesses and refusing to get sidetracked by stories of doom and gloom.

If you want to grow your newsagency, consider joining newsXpress.  We are always keen to talk with proactive newsagents who want to grow their businesses and network with a community of like-minded newsagents.

newsXpress Market Fair in Perth a hit with newsagents

nx_west_marketfair.jpgOur newsXpress Market Fair in Perth yesterday was a terrific success with great deals from suppliers on show to our members and a select group of prospective members.  The Market Fair was preceeded by a members meeting where we outlined plans for the next three months, discussed member feedback and heard presentations from six suppliers with very special offers for newsXpress members.

This is our third members meeting in Perth this year.  These meetings and our full time on the ground presence in Western Australia demonstrate our commitment to this vibrant marketplace.

Moving Sydney Market Fair

We have relocated our Sydney Market Fair on Thursday of this week to accomodate additional suppliers and members attending.  The new location is the Royal Randwick Racecourse.  This will help our expanded preferred supplier group and our growing member community to have the space necessary for a very successful Market Fair.  If Melbourne is anything to go by, Sydney will be an excellent event!

Newsagencies for sale

If you are looking to buy a newsagency then newsXpress may be able to connect you with an opportunity.  We are regularly approached by landlords and other parties from time to time with opportunities for new newsagency locations.  We are also aware of newsagency businesses for sale which may suit a newsXpress operation.  If you are looking to buy a newsagency, contact newsXpress and we can share details of opportunities with you.

Getting the shopfit right

nx_shopfit.JPGnewsXpress representatives and shopfitters met in Melboure today to workshop a national strategy on flexible corporate image shopfits for newsXpress outlets.  newsXpress invited all known newsagency shopfitters from Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland to participate in this newsXpress exclusive initiative.

Over the course of three hours, standards were discussed, new shopfit and layout ideas were explored and what the newsagency of the future may look like was considered.

All pariticpants agreed that the meeting was ground breaking and unlocked opportunities for innovation by newsXpress and the participating shopfitters.

In the photo is Trent Shields, newsXpress National Marketing Manager, Adrian Rowe, Rowe Shopfitters, Jared Leahy, Zone Design, Graham Randall, newsXpress Director and Ben Kay, newsXpress General Manager and Tony Merchant, Interfit.

The newsXpress difference on show

nx_vic_mfair_june09.JPGThe next round of newsXpress member meetings kicked off today in Melbourne.  The meeting featured presentations from six suppliers outlining newsXpress offers and member opportunities.  The meeting was followed by a Market Fair at which 45 suppliers were represented – all offering excellent deals, many exclusive to newsXpress.  Our members got to do some excellent buying, engage in great networking and do all of this at the fabulous Flemington racecourse.

The Market Fair today was an excellent example of the newsXpress difference in action.

Comparing this year’s Fair with our 2008 event shows how far newsXpress has come in the last year.  Yes, we are very proud for our members, our team and our suppliers.

Promoting State of Origin at Eli Waters

eli_waters_nx.jpgThe team at newsXpress Eli Waters embraced the Rugby State of Origin with this brilliant in-store display.  They used the newsXpress provided marketing collateral as a background and built a stunning display based on team colours.  The result is excellent in-store theatre which connects the business with local allegiances.

Everyone involved at Eli Waters ought to be very proud of the display.

newsXpress provides its members with access to a range of marketing collateral for all sorts of events and seasons.  Material like our Rugby World Cup posters is provided to members without cost.  There is no obligation for members to promote non-core seasons – these are decisions best made at the local level.

Local marketing support from newsXpress

newsXpress provides excellent local marketing support for members keen to use local opportunities to grow their businesses.

Our skilled back office marketing and support teams help many members leverage these opportunities.  From local events to sponsorship opportunities to working with local newspapers on advertising, the newsXpress team can help newsagents get the most from each and ensure that their brand is professionally represented.

newsXpress does not charge a fee for this service – we welcome working with members to make the most from each opportunity available.

Our Business Development Managers, who visit our members regularly as part of the newsXpress service (for not extra cost), are able to help members access our local marketing support services.

Excellent supplier support for newsagent market fairs

newsXpress has announced the long list of suppliers participating in the newsXpress newsagent Market Fairs which start this week.  We have had to move location in one state because we could not accommodate the suppliers keen to be part of this important annual event.

A newsXpress exclusive, the Market Fairs provide an excellent opportunity for newsXpress members and suppliers to discuss exclusive and valuable deals, many of which are only available at the Market Fairs.

The breadth of range of products and the excellent value deals demonstrate another benefit of newsXpress membership. We are helping members expand their ranges and to do so in a smart and financially rewarding way.

Our mission is to make newsXpress newsagencies the most successful and sought after newsagencies in Australia.

The Market Fairs which start this week are proof of our commitment to pursuing this mission and helping our members across all categories of their businesses.

Our first Market Fair is Thursday June 11 in Melbourne.  42 newsagency suppliers are participating.

Helping newsagencies move old stock

nx_stocktake_sale_c.jpgGo into any newsagency and you will find stock which has not worked as expected.  The Stocktake Sale created by newsXpress provides our members with excellent collateral and in-store strategies for moving this unwanted stock out of the business.  By not being specific about the product included in the Stocktake Sale, we are making it easy for our members to make choices appropriate to the needs of their businesses.  The marketing collateral is bold and enticing, designed to bring customers in looking for deals and to reinforce that at newsXpress you can expect to see some great deals.

The newsXpress back office team has invested considerable time developing the Stocktake Sale strategy.  Being the first of this type in the newsagency channel we had nothing with which to compare.  We looked at the stocktake strategies of the majors and those used by retail channels overseas.  Finally, we came back to the needs of our members and their desire to have a means through which they can move slow moving stock in preparation for new ranges.

The newsXpress Stocktake Sale is an exciting opportunity for newsXpress and newsXpress members to embrace and show off the newsXpress difference.

Great deals at newsXpress Market Fairs

Staring next week, newsXpress is hosting Market Fairs at which suppliers will offer great specials, receive briefings on a selection of products and discuss new opportunities exclusive to newsXpress. Here are the details:

Melbourne 11 Jun 2009, 09:30AM, Flemington The Event Centre – Panorama Room 448 Epsom Road, Flemington

Perth 16 Jun 2009, 09:30AM, Citigate Perth Hotel, 707 Wellington Street, Perth

Sydney 18 Jun 2009, 09:30AM, The Lakes Golf Club, Cnr King Street and Vernon Avenue, Eastlakes

Brisbane 23 Jun 2009, 09:30AM, Brisbane Technology Park, 1 Clunies Ross Court, Eight Mile Plains

Bookings are available online at our website.  Access is free but bookings are essential.