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

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.

Driving better goodwill in newsagencies

nx_flag.jpgGoodwill is important when a newsagents decides to sell their business as it represents the value of the business after the current owner leaves. Belonging to a marketing group like newsXpress can add to the goodwill of a newsagency.

Business goodwill is that portion of a business’ value associated with the business itself. It includes things like footprint, brand recognition, supplier relationships, training, support, marketing, market share etc. Business goodwill is transferable from one owner to another, it is sellable.

The other part of Goodwill is personal goodwill this is the portion of a business’ value associated directly with its owner. Things like the owner’s name, reputation, contacts, skills, and abilities. For many Newsagencies the majority of their value is tied up in personal goodwill. Unfortunately, personal goodwill only has value to the current owner, and is therefore difficult to sell.

A prospective newsagency buyer will usually look for a newsagency with a higher business goodwill. From the buyer’s perspective, a newsagency with more business goodwill is worth more of a premium price as the business is more likely to remain profitable once it has changed hands.

newsXpress provides its members with strategies, product offers and regular in-business support to help build business goodwill and thereby make the business more value. This is a key aspect of our mission and a key point of difference of newsXpress.

What does newsXpress stand for?

The most common question newsagents of a marketing group they are considering joining is what does the group stand for, what is its mission?  here at newsXpress, the answer is clear:

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

Simple.  To the point.  This mission defines every decision we make, every supplier relationship we negotiate, every marketing startegy we develop and every contact we have.  It goes to the heart of the newsXpress difference.

We back our mission by not locking members into long contracts.

Adding value to the STOCKTAKE SALE

nx_coupon_cleaning.jpgThe 2009 STOCKTAKE SALE which newsXpress has developed exclusively for newsagent members features many elements designed to help shift stock and reward customers for their support. This campaign is another from newsXpress which positions our retail network competitively against national retailers.

One such small element in the STOCKTAKE SALE brochure is a coupon offering a discount on computer cleaning products. It is rewards like this which are used by smart retailers to derive the maximum value from marketing collateral. The STOCKTAKE SALE brochure is multi-layered and aimed to have broad appeal. The cleaning coupon helps us reach into the home office space, other aspects of the brochure help us elsewhere. We will publish the brochure here once it is in the marketplace.

newsXpress members prefer certain suppliers

newsXpress has noticed increased attention from some non-referred suppliers on newsXpress stores in the lead up to our Market Fairs in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Perth in June.  These suppliers appear to be trying to get orders in before the exclusive deals from our preferred suppliers which will be on show at the Market Fairs.  newsXpress has asked its members to hold the line, wait for the Market Fairs and have the resources available to partner with preferred suppliers.

We have also caught out some suppliers claiming newsXpress preferred supplier status when they do not have this.  Such a false claim will only hurt their business.

newsXpress is a proud energetic retail channel.  It is natural suppliers what to be part of what we are doing.  We work hard to build balance and equity for our members, suppliers and ourselves.  Our preferred supplier program drives this.

Just In bookmarks – another newsXpress difference

nx_just_in_fb.JPGThe Just In bookmarks from newsXpress are another point of difference we deliver to our members to help promote newsXpress newsagencies as the magazine experts.  The bookmarks are placed on monthly magazines which are just in – to draw attention to new titles.  It is attention to detail like this which separates newsXpress from other newsagencies.  newsXpress provides the bookmarks to members for no cost.

The just in magazine bookmarks are part a broader and considered strategy developed by newsXpress to use consumer touchpoints in-store to build the shopping basket.

With excellent traffic in newsagencies, the opportunities for using the store itself to achieve this are excellent.  The keys we have discovered are: consistency, a professional approach and adding value.  The magazine just in bookmark ticks each of these boxes.

2009 STOCKTAKE SALE

nx_stocktake_cover.jpgnewsXpress has pushed the button on producing the brochures, posters and other collateral to support the 2009 STOCKTAKE SALE.  This sale, exclusive to newsXpress, is an excellent opportunity for our stores to quit items and save the cost of counting stock.  Talking with our members, there will be some excellent bargains on offer.  Most important will be the in-store excitement the SALE and the supporting collateral generate.  We will announce details here over the next few days of the various offers and supporting strategies which will feature in our STOCKTAKE SALE.

Three $20 million superdraw syndicates

newsXpress members in Queensland are participating in three syndicates for the $20 million superdraw to be held on Saturday June 20.  This will be our third mulit-store syndicate offer.  The previous two have sold out. Details were announced to members today.

Golden Casket has helped us develop this opportunity and build lottery sales for enwsXpress members.

newsXpress flattered by the attention

newsXpress and its members are flattered to be the target of a recruitment campaign by another newsagency marketing group. Their marketing targets our members categories in which we lead.

The best measure of how much a newsagency marketing group backs their ability to deliver rewards for members is how long they force a newsagent to stay in the group. Locking newsagents in for five years and not permitting newsagents to leave because they want is a reason the group will struggle.

newsXpress supports State of Origin games

nx_state_of_origin.jpgnewsXpress has provided its members with artwork and access to other collateral with which to support the upcoming State of Origin series.  The free artwork, created by our in-house team, captures the passion that is State of Origin.  This will help our members engage with their customers and have fun through the three game contest.

we understand the importance of theatre in retail.  newsXpress is committed to providing its members with collateral and resources to provide the enjoyable experiences for newsXpress customers and valuable experience for newsXpress members.

newsXpress Market Fair dates

Next month, newsXpress is hosting Market Fairs around the counter where our members get access to great specials from newsXpress preferred suppliers, receive briefings on a small selection of products and discuss new strategies and opportunities exclusive to newsXpress. These business building sessions are open to newsXpress mebers. 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.

Many happy newsXpress customers

mday2009.JPGnewsXpress newsagents have been busy giving away digital cameras this month as in-store draws have been completed for the Hallmark Mother’s Day giveaway. The photo shows Shayne and Roslyn Clarke of newsXpress Cooma with a happy customer receiving her free Sony digital camera.  This is a scene repeated across the country in newsXpress locations.  Our members appreciate promotions liks this where a local customer is the winner – this reinforces our local connection.

Magazine promotion popular

magclubcard.jpgThe magazine club card from newsXpress is more popular than ever since the decision by the newsXpress Board to make all collateral, including the cards, available to members without cost.  newsXpress happily sends new card stock to members for no cost, including no delivery cost.  This takes a cost out of the businesses and makes running the magazine club card loyalty program even more compelling for newsXpress members.

We launched the latest changes to this magazine loyalty program last month and we are well ahead of projections of cards in circulation and rewards being earned by happy newsXpress customers.

Publishers and smart newsagents see the value of this exclusive to newsXpress offer.  We are drawing traffic from supermarkets and convenience outlets.  We are also guiding our customers to spend more on magazines.  While many newsagents moan doom about magazine sales, newsXpress members are embracing this marketing initiative and pursuing every growth opportunity.