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

Visual merchandising for newsagents

pw_dopublea.jpgHaving the right product on the shop floor is important. Landing it there for a good price is another. What you do with this product once it gets there is even more important. Too often in newsagencies we see opportunities lost because of poor in-store displays. This is a topic which will receive attention at the newsXpress conference on the Gold Coast next month. We have an expert in the visual merchandising field presenting at the conference. We also have members showing off their best displays and network with colleague newsagents, discussing what works in their business and what does not.

At newsXpress we are committed to helping our members from the back of the shop right through to the front. There is where the newsXpress offer is unique. We take a whole of business approach and bring energy and excitement into play to achieve the results many newsagents miss even though they may do some good buying.

Welcome Pelican Waters

pw.JPGnewsXpress thrilled to welcome the new shop at Pelican Waters which had its Grand Opening last weekend. Karen Sutton from newsXpress was on hand to train the team and provide support for the opening.

Store openings are an important part of the newsXpress process. They help newsagents put the past behind them and focus on building a brighter future for the business around the principles of newsXpress. This is where our in-store training is important.  It brings the owners and their team together and focuses on the newsXpress difference.  Our experts are able to draw on considerable experience from other stores and offer a range of strategies around which the business can grow in the future.

Suppliers get behind our store openings by providing prizes, marketing material and other support. They are keen to help our members and our group. This is because a newsXpress store, for many suppliers, will deliver above industry average sales growth.

Karen is our national account manager, handling all newsXpress prospect inquiries. If you are interested in newsXpress, please make contact with Karen.

Promoting Dad’s Nuts

dn.JPGThe newsXpress exclusive Dad’s Nuts promotion for Father’s Day is working very well across our stores. This exclusive product from Morish is popular with newsXpress customers and team members. In the Father’s Day gift bag there is a selection of tasty Morish product along with a discount coupon for a future purchase.

newsXpress is pleased to offer this and other exclusive deals for Father’s Day.

Changes at newsXpress

newsXpress CEO, Mark Nagy, is moving to a consulting role with the group following his recommendation to the Board that the company recruit a new CEO for the next phase of growth for this 150 member strong newsagency marketing group.

Mark Nagy served as CEO of newsXpress for three years from late 2005 and oversaw membership growth from 35 locations to in excess of 150 locations and employee growth from two to twelve.

“I have enjoyed my time with newsXpress and working with newsagents immensely” commented Mark Nagy, “I am passionate about newsXpress and feel that the next phase of its growth is best pursued with a new CEO. I am pleased to be able to continue to contribute to the group.”

“Mark Nagy’s contribution to newsXpress has been invaluable,” commented Graham Randall, founding Director of the newsXpress group, “driving us to look outside the traditional newsagency channel for revenue and business opportunities.  We wish him well with his next career move.”

The company is undertaking a strategic review in advance of conducting a search for a new CEO to lead the group.  Mark Nagy has been retained by the Board in a consulting role.

Father’s Day at newsXpress

fday08.JPGIn addition to actively promoting greeting cards this Father’s Day, newsXpress stores have a host of gift offers which are supported by exclusive in-store collateral.  Our stores have material to promote albums, shredders, confectionery, bookends and desk sets – all items suitable for gifts for Dad on Father’s Day.  The posters were provided free of charge.  Each is printed in colour double sided and is A2 in size.

The products being promoted on the posters were selected by the newsXpress merchandise team for their suitability for the season and the margin they deliver.

Our mission is to help our members achieve a more valuable shopping basket.  We are doing this through better buying, better in-store and out-of-store marketing andbringing new products which fit naturall with the typical newsXpress shopper.

As with all seasons, we will track the results of our offers and invite member feedback.  This helps to continue to refine our offer.

Vacancy: Queensland Business Development

One of the most important roles in newsXpress is that of Business Development Manager. BDMs, as they are known, work with our members, building their businesses around the newsXpress processes. They take a whole of business approach from the back room to the front counter, offering resources, guidance and training to improve business efficiency, drive traffic and extract a better financial return.

Expansion within newsXpress has opened an opportunity an energetic and appropriately skilled person to join our Queensland team in a new business development role we have created.

If you have good small business management skills and want to help newsagents grow their businesses, please email your resume to employment@newsXpress.com.au.

Come and experience the difference

In a bold move to help newsagents find a brighter future, newsXpress has made places available for non newsXpress members at its inaugural conference on the Gold Coast in September. The agenda packed with presentations which will provide practical advice for newsagents.  Peter Sheehan, author of the book excellent Flip will present the conference Keynote speech.  Flip is about what newsagents need to know – how to turn a business on its ear for a brighter future.

Included in the very practical agenda is a series of Show & Tell sessions where newsagents speak from practical experience on innovation in their businesses, workshops on visual merchandising, a session of understanding Gen Y and a session on how to run a successful staff incentive program.  All practical ideas you will be abl to take and use right away.

If you are looking to re-energise yourself and your newsagency and are considering joining the newsXpress marketing group this conference would be a good way to experience the newsXpress difference.  A limited number of positions are available for non-newsXpress members.  For further information please email paulw@newsxpress.com.au.  Non members will have access to all conference sessions except for one which is for members only.

Books, books and books

booksale_aug08.JPG Our newsXpress Forest Hill store has grown books into an    $80,000+ a year category thanks to the supplier arrangements and supporting marketing materials developed exclusively by newsXpress with ABW (Australian Book Wholesalers). This is an extraordinary success in the first year of a new department. While the shop has sold discount novels previously, they have accounted for around $12,000 a year in sales. To add $80,000 to this with a good margin demonstrates the value of being part of a proactive marketing group which is driving balance across the business. The best part about books is the marketing – this is bringing new customers to the store as well as other newsXpress outlets participating in the promotions.

The Stig and Top Gear

ascot-vale-top-gear.jpgThe team at newsXpress Ascot Vale understand the appeal of some of the characters of Top Gear and reflected this in their brilliant window display.  The headline, The Stig is Here above his image says it all to draw attention to the launch of Top Gear Australia.

newsXpress members understand the importance of retail theatre in driving sales.  Few marketing groups attack magazine opportunities like we do at newsXpress – as the folks from Ascot Vale show in their window.

Promoting Top Gear in Gympie

Gympie is an old mining town on the Fraser Coast in Queensland town.  It has seven newsagencies.  newsXpress Gympie never does anything by halves.  Take a look at the sign they installed in front of newsXpress Gympie to pronot the launch of Top Gear, the new magazine from ACP Magazines.

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Needless to say, Warrick Hosking at the team at newsXpress Gympie sold out of Top Gear.

newsXpress Gateway (WA) shines

The newsXpress Gateway shop is a shining example of how a modern newsagency can look.  Beyond its stunning presentation is the success with new money, categories which are genuinely new to newsagents.  These newsXpress initiatives are driving good results for the team at Gateway.  They can be gvey proud of an attractive and successful business.

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The art bar from Canson is particularly impressive.  Beyond the good look is a startegy which brings new traffic and deepens the shopping basket.  This is where the newsXpress facilities and a smart local newsagent combine for great success.

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Care and Friendship at Salamander Bay

100_0191.jpgThe team at newsXpress salamander Bay have embraced the Care & Friendship campaign wholeheartedly.

Care & Friendship is an exclusive to newsXpress campaign backed by Hallmark with co-branded marketing collateral and other support.

At Salamander Bay they have the free Hallmark bear on display to drive sales. With the campaign running till the 27th of July it is sure to attract some attention and build sales at Salamander Bay.

Ink and toner offer success

frank_hotink2.JPGWith more newsXpress locations embracing our successful Hot Ink strategy, we are able to draw on a broad variety of success for almost any situation.

We have had several newsagent locations replace tobacco products from behind the counter with a bold ink and toner offering. The benefits are that ink can be advertised and tobacco cannot. This sees ink being used to draw traffic to the store whereas tobacco relies on leveraging off existing traffic.

newsXpress on Facebook

newsXpress team members are encouraged to join the newsXpress Facebook group. Already we have people from different newsXpress stores making contact with each other as a result of this group. By embracing online social sites like Facebook, people working across the newsXpress network of stores are able to share stories, ideas and the newsXpress culture more easily.

At newsXpress we recognise that websites like Facebook have changed the way we interact forever. Part of our role is to help our members respond to these changes and the impact they will have on their local community focused newsagencies.

Ho Ho Ho lives on at Wauchope

wauchope.JPGThe team at newsXpress Wauchope embraced Christmas and dismissed the ho ho ho political correctness.

Christmas is a traditional season at newsXpress and Sandi Burke and her team from newsXpress are living proof that the tradition of Santa and HO HO HO lives on. They had fun. Their customers had fun the spirit of Christmas is as strong as ever.

At newsXpress, as well as helping our members grow their businesses, we help them enjoy themselves more.

Hallmark / newsXpress alliance drives success

jamison2.JPGnewsXpress newsagencies right across Australia have has a stunning Christmas as a result of an exclusive relationship with Hallmark Cards. newsXpress has ensured that all of its stores received premium promotional material to enable their stores to be well dressed and thereby drive card and wrap sales. The photo shows the results of the newsXpress / Hallmark relationship at Jamison in the ACT. It is a bold display such as this which drives sales – this has to be the outcome of every promotional activity in retail.

Making Calendars work

Newsagents who joined calendarXpress, a subsidiary of newsXpress are reaping good rewards today as they process product markdowns and follow the strategy laid out by the group. While many stores have sold out, they have had access to excellent backup stock at greatly reduced prices – to ensure success through the post Christmas sales period. calendarXpress has supported this with marketing collateral and other support materials to ensure the best possible outcome.

Too many newsagents take calendars from magazine distributors and others and make too little a return given the floorspace and labour investment. Our goal is to maximise this return by implementing some simple changes.

Early feedback from calendarXpress stores is that this year has been a wonderful success.

HP combo 27/28 $46.95

For a great price on genuine HP ink, this combo pack of HP 27 and HP28 ink is excellent value. $46.95 including GST is all you’ll have to par at a participating newsXpress location. They are listed on the Hot Ink website.