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

Chocolatier eggs for Easter

nx_choco.jpgnewsXpress has partnered with the respected Chocolatier brand for premium Easter chocolate products.  From single eggs to gift packs, newsXpress newsagents are able to source an excellent range of Easter chocolate products.  We are especially pleased to have available the Pink Ribbon related Easter range – the sale of which raises funds for the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

The relationship with Chocolatier is part of the new national confectionery strategy announced earlier this year – this strategy unlocks an excellent range of confectionery products for newsXpress members at competitive prices.

Saturday lotto syndicate sell out

Our first newsXpress GROUP ‘SUPER SYNDICATE’ has been a resounding success with the last of the 152 shares selling out this morning. With still 10 days left until the Super Draw this is an outstanding result.

Individually several stores recorded exceptional sales with newsXpress Lowood selling 35 shares between themselves and their second store newsXpress Fernvale, this was after committing to just four shares! They also rewarded the staff member who sold the most shares with a Myer voucher.

newsXpress Gympie also excelled with an amazing 16 shares sold after committing to just five.

Mother’s Day offers for newsXpress members

newsXpress last week advised member newsagents of Mother’s Day offers from seven suppliers.  Our merchandise team has negotiated a range of offers which will help our members have well-priced gifts and associated lines with which to celebrate Mother’s Day this year.  This is another season through which we can expand the gift offer.

In developing our seasonal plans, our merchandise experts meet with many suppliers, attend Gift Fairs and talk with newsXpress members strong in the gift space.  This information is considered and the final selection developed through the year.

By releasing Mother’s Day in mid-March, our members are able to plan and have stock available immediately after Easter.

Exclusive Select AFL cards promotion

nx_select.jpgnewsXpress members in Victoria are participating in an exclusive marketing campaign around the Select AFL Champions cards.  In addition to receiving premium promotional material, newsXpress members have access to an exclusive competition based on in-store marketing of the cards.

This promotion is timely in AFL-mad Victoria where the Select cards usually sell out.  newsXpress locations are well positioned to drive tremendous success from this opportunity and be known as the go-to retailer for the Select AFL Champions cards.

newsXpress member meetings

newsXpress has announced the next round of member meetings.  The agenda for these meetings includes: new great deal product opportunities, merchandise plans for Q3 2009, talk about brand compliance, year to date group financials and an update on our magazine project.

Brisbane: April 21, 10am
Brisbane Technology Park, Eight Mile Plains

Melbourne: April 23, 10am
Malvern Valley Golf & Reception Centre (Arlington)

Sydney: April 28, 10am
The Lakes Golf Club, Eastlakes NSW

Perth: May 5
Online

newsXpress will be represented by the Directors and senior management.  Each meeting will include an open forum as well as networking opportunities.  Booking is via the members area of the newsXpress website.

Prospective newsXpress members who would like to attend should make contact with us on availability.

More than the deals

12th-march-002.jpgWhile newsXpress negotiates exclusive deals on products for its members, it is at the back end of the business that we deliver tremendous benefit for our members. Deals will not sell unless you pull new people in with professional marketing. Deals will not sell unless you present them professionally. Deals will not sell unless you provide training and product knowledge for staff which helps them leverage them.

Troy and the team at newsXpress Wagga Wagga understand this and embrace all that newsXpress offers – right down to our branded sale table cover as shown in the photo from their store this week.

By promoting the brand of the store along with a hot deal around art, newsXpress Wagga Wagga is pitching true value of customers walking past their newsagency. Pitching the brand even in this subtle way is important because now, more than ever before, the difference in newsagencies is obvious.

From table cloths, to uniforms, to name badges to shop signage, newsXpress offers a branding solution to enable members to be proud of their newsXpress membership and to let customers know where they can experience the newsXpress difference.

Reinventing the newsagency ink offer

hotink7.jpgnewsXpress has evolved its Hot Ink! offer to keep its 160 newsagent members ahead of the pack when it comes to ink, toner and related products.  While previous Hot Ink! offers have worked very well for us and our members, we knew we could not rest on our laurels.  Hence changes which include four supplier-funded offers.  Two of these offers are exclusive to newsXpress newsagencies.

The two-page brochure, distributed to hundreds of thousands of homes around Australia, is the first of its kind in the newsagency channel in that it promotes coupons, cashbacks and bonuses is a way never used by newsagents.

Historically, newsagents have promoted ink around price using catalogues that look like price lists.  Our goal was to create a professional and compelling offer which separated us from this me-too marketing approach and which worked as a call to action.

Beyond the marketing support, newsXpress helps with ranging, merchandising and staff training.

Promoting Lovatts crosswords

lovatpromo.jpgnewsXpress newsagencies are proactively promoting the exclusive Lovatts bonus package this month.  We also have a free pencil for every customer – crossword customers love using pencils.  To support the promotion, stores are being given marketing collateral as well as plenty of pencils to give away.  The newsXpress exclusive bonus pack includes: Holiday Collections Issue 68, a  Cryptic Collections A4 puzzle book and a handy How to do Cryptic Crosswords booklet, total value of over $16 for just $9.50.  This offer helps us demonstrate again to our customers that we offer excellent value.

Local area marketing workshop

How to use local area marketing is another free online workshop from newsXpress to help its members enhance business skills and network with other newsXpress members on business building topics.  Hosted by our National Marketing Manager, Trent Shields, this workshop will cover the newsXpress range of resources available for Local area marketing and explore how newsXpress members have successfully marketed their businesses in their local community.

newsXpress supports Lovatts Brain Awareness Week initiative

newsXpress is proud to partner with Lovatts, Australia’s premier crossword and puzzle publisher, to support Brain Awareness Week.

Brain Awareness Week is an international enterprise organised by the Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives to advance public awareness about the progress and benefits of brain research. This year Brain Awareness Week will be held between 16-22 March.

There is a strong correlation between remaining brain active and restricting the onset of brain health issues so it is appropriate that newsXpress partners with Lovatts to support this cause.

Thanks to Lovatts, newsXpress stores have a great value offer for customers.  Holiday Collections Issue 68 will come bagged with a Cryptic Collections A4 puzzle book and a handy How to do Cryptic Crosswords booklet, total value of over $16 for just $9.50.

Super draw System 20 syndicate participation sell-out

newsXpress members have taken up all available opportunities to sell shares in a newsXpress exclusive System 20 syndicate for the Saturday lottery super draw at the end of March. newsXpress members working together on opportunities like this helps reinforce the strength of our group to ourselves as well as to suppliers.

The opportunity was open for barely more than a day before it was fully subscribed by members keen to sell tickets in the syndicate.  The syndicate opportunity was developed in association with the folks at Golden Casket – sponsor of one of the awards to be given at the newsXpress conference later this year.

Great printer ink deals in Mackay

nx_mackay_hotink.JPGnewsXpress Village in Mackay, Queensland is promoting the latest Hot Ink! offer with a full page advertisement in the Daily Mercury newspaper.  newsXpress has worked with newsXpress Village on the creative for the ad, developing a variation to our successful two-page flyer.  Developing creative like this is part of how we help newsXpress members promote locally and do so in a way which connects with national campaigns.

newsXpress engages government on environmental strategy

newsXpress has written to the Minister for the Environment to outline the challenges for small business retailers under carbon trading arrangements and today’s environmental situation more generally. While our submission is on behalf of newsXpress member newsagents, it usefully opens a discussion which could benefit all newsagents.

newsXpress is committed to helping its member newsagents operate successful best practice businesses. Our engagement with the Federal Government on environmental matters pursues that goal.

Landlords invite newsXpress into their centres

shopfront.jpgnewsXpress is receiving more and more invitations to consider locations in existing and new shopping centres around Australia.

With a footprint of close to 160 locations nationally, attractive businesses, a commitment to professional retailing, national TV and print advertising and good compliance principles, landlords see newsXpress as a national brand they want in their centres.

In response to approaches, newsXpress has developed a set of principles and guidelines for handling invitations from landlords.

  • We do not approach landlords in centres where there is an existing newsagent.
  • We only consider locations which are on the open market.
  • There are instances where we have helped existing newsagents lift their businesses and stay in a centre by providing support services and other guidance to lift their offer and retain their business.
  • We ensure that a newsagent already serving the centre is given the opportunity to open the newsXpress location offered to us by the landlord – we have helped existing newsagents expand in this way.
  • Using our professional lease negotiator, we pursue the best possible terms for the business.
  • We invite existing newsXpress members to consider taking up available tenancy offers.
  • next, we invite non newsXpress newsagents to take up the new tenancy offer.
  • If these steps do not uncover a good candidate, we may market the opportunity more widely or invite the landlord to see suitable tenants directly.

newsXpress goes to extraordinary lengths to ensure newsagents covering an existing location and first bite at a new opportunity. There are excellent instances in our history where this has worked well for the newsagent and the landlord.

2010 calendar workshop for newsagents

newsXpress is hosting an online workshop on 2010 calendar opportunities for for newsXpress newsagents.  This workshop will be held on March 10 and will cover the 2010 range, guidelines on what to order and other opportunities to pursue now in order to make the most of the lucrative season.

This is a terrific learning opportunity from newsXpress – we are committed to helping our newsagent members have access to the best resources and advice.

This workshop is another cross-border networking opportunity for newsXpress members.

Bonus round of members meetings scheduled

newsXpress has added another round of member meetings to the cycle planned for 2009. This is response to the excellent feedback from the round of member meetings just concluded. To be held in late April, this next round of member meetings will further develop our theme for 2009 of standards, introduce new and exclusive product offers for newsXpress newsagents and open for discussion business management initiatives.

newsXpress is committed to helping its members deep into the back room as well as in the body of the shop. This is why we include operational topics in our member meeting agendas, so that our members can talk with each other and learn about best practice in areas of their business.