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

Full-house at NSW members meeting

nsw_membmeet.jpgOur full-house NSW members meeting yesterday was a busy few hours. Taking the form of an open forum, newsXpress members, prospective members and our team reviewed recent marketing and discussed plans for Easter, Calendars, Diaries and our next Ink promotion. Over several hours including a working lunch we also discussed several newsXpress initiated innovations which aim to leverage our success into better commercial outcomes for our members.

Discipline was at the heart of this round of member meetings. newsXpress is committed to helping its members achieve greater unity around a common goal and this starts with our businesses looking, feeling and acting great.

Member meetings like yesterday in Sydney are a key opportunity for members to share stories as well as influence the direction we take as a group.

With a strong representation of the newsXpress brand in NSW/ACT, we are poised to move from being seen as another brand of newsagency to being newsXpress and standing for all that makes up the value of the newsXpress brand.

Exclusive magazine offer at newsXpress

newsXpress members are participating in an exclusive offer of Alpha and Australian Football Weekly for a combined price of $5.  Specially printed collateral, including header cards and posters, has been provided to newsXpress stores for use in supporting the promotion.

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newsXpress negotiates exclusive magazine title based offers as well as exclusive strategic relationships for members.  Our marketing and merchandise teams welcome opportunities to work with other publishers to develop mutually beneficial outcomes.

More practical support for Victorian bushfire victims

newsXpress has shipped a range of stationery for by among schools in fire ravaged areas. We heard about the need through one of members who is a fireman and gladly joined the project to help get school materials so that classes have materials so that learning can get under way.  This project has been co-ordinated by several of our members working together to ensure that we understand what is needed and that it gets to the right place.

newsXpress member meetings this week

newsXpress is hosting three member meetings this week. The details are:

  • Sydney:  Tuesday February 24, 10am, The Lakes Golf Club, Banksia Room, King Street, Eastlakes. Followed by lunch for those who can join us.
  • Brisbane:  Wednesday February 25, 1:30pm, Brisbane Technology Park – West Auditorium of BTP Technology and Conference Centre, 1 Clunies Ross Court (Off Miles Platting Road), Eight Mile Plains. Preceded by lunch for those who can join us.
  • Melbourne: Thursday February 26, 10am, Malvern Valley Golf and Reception Centre, Silk Room, Golfers Drive, Malvern East. Followed by lunch for those who can join us.

If you are considering joining a proactive marketing group to drive your business please make contact with us to enquire about attending one of our meetings.  newsXpress members can sign up using the online booking facility at our website.

Working the Sydney Gift Fair

nx_gift_fair_drinks.JPGnewsXpress members and staff got together last night at the Watershed Hotel for drinks and a debrief about the first two days of the Reed Sydney Gift Fair. This was one of several events in Sydney this week scheduled to coincide with the fair. We recognise that time away from the shop is challenging to achieve so we have sought to make the most of this and help our members leverage more beneficial outcomes.

At the drinks last night members from four states got to trade stories. It is this type of networking which is a key value of newsXpress. Beyond talking about products seen at the Fair, there was good discussion about business.

newsXpress members are like family with each other – last night was like a good family catch up.

newsXpress Seymour raises $2,600 for bushfire relief

Vaughan Lawrence and the team at newsXpress Seymour raised $2,600 in five days for the Red Cross Bushfire Appeal.  Customers have been encouraged to donate direct to the Red Cross at their website and leave their change in the bucket at the counter.  This is a campaign newsXpress developed with the Red Cross immediately after the fires.  The money has been deposited into the Red Cross account and the receipt put on display for customers as recommended by newsXpress.

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The support from the people shopping at newsXpress Seymour has been exceptional.  $2,600 given in just five days shows heartfelt concern for bushfire victims.

The photo was taken after the first deposit.

Notice the challenge on the sign – let’s get another $3,000.

Excellent Easter range for newsXpress newsagents

newsXpress has sourced a broad range of Easter from several suppliers.  From chocolate to soft toys to gifts and religious items, we have presented a broad selection of Easter gift items. Our members are able to select the smallest range of Easter gifts through to a large display. They can buy individual items or pre selected packs – an efficient way to buy. Like other seasons, newsXpress aims to help members to achieve excellent results this Easter.

The right marketing group for your newsagency

Our How to choose a marketing group for your newsagency paper has been updated.  We have received excellent feedback from the first version off this document and this has encouraged us to develop this new version.  The opening paragraphs position the purpose of the document:

Supanews, Nextra, The Lucky Charm, Newspower and newsXpress are the five marketing and or buying groups for newsagents in Australia at the time of writing this report. Each of these groups is different, even more so that they themselves might have you believe.

The differences between newsagency marketing groups are not as evident as they could be, making the choice challenging for newsagents contemplating joining a marketing group.

Too often, newsagents find out why a marketing group is not for them once they have signed an agreement and are locked in for years without any way out.

Dealing with the aftermath of the bushfires

whittlesea-002.jpgNeil and Robyn Ritchie at newsXpress Whittlesea have had an extraordinary ten days in their newsagency – but they can still manage a smile for customers and a quick photo.

Besides the challenge of a huge influx in the population of the town – it is a major holding area and contact point for bushfire relief in the area – they have customers, employees and friends directly affected.

In the tradition of newsagents of years gone by, Neil and Robyn are working very long days behind the counter of their newsagency in the heart of town and doing newspaper deliveries early in the morning as they have a driver off because his house was burnt to the ground. Their home is a resting place for many they know who have been affected.

Valentine’s Day and what would usually have been an excellent trading period came and went without notice as the sole focus of everyone in town is to understand the extent of the personal and property losses.

This Friday is Robyn’s birthday and an opportunity to celebrate even if only briefly because of the work waiting to be done the next day.

Our thoughts are with Neil, Robyn and all newsagents affected by the bushfires.

newsXpress Silver Sands raises funds for Victorian Bushfire Appeal

dscn0103.jpgTo raise funds for the victims of the bushfires in Victoria, the team at newsXpress Silver Sands in Western Australia rallied together with local business to raise funds.  Touched by the stories of survival and the desire to help staff member Angela, the dedicated team at newsXpress Silver Sands and proprietor Phillip Foo in just a little over 4 hours, raised over $1000.00. This was a direct result of a sausage sizzle, raffles and of course the open generosity of the numerous shoppers passing by and dropping their donations in the tin. The store also donated a HP printer.  The local pharmacy donated perfumes, Poolwerx a $100 voucher for the raffles, IGA the sausages, the bakery bread rolls, the local pub donated the can drinks and newsXpress Silver Sands’ own insurance broker ths one-off public liability.

The photo shows Jeannie, Angela(organiser, and staff member), Phillip Foo, and Amanda

newsXpress member meetings

newsXpress is about to host its first round of member meetings. These are in addition to online member meetings and training sessions, in-store meetings with our Business Development Managers and our cluster (regional) meetings.

At this round of member meetings we will outline more exclusive stationery deals, discuss national standards and discuss other initiatives of newsXpress.

  • Sydney:  Tuesday February 24, 10am, The Lakes Golf Club, Banksia Room, King Street, Eastlakes. Followed by lunch for those who can join us.
  • Brisbane:  Wednesday February 25, 1:30pm, Brisbane Technology Park – West Auditorium of BTP Technology and Conference Centre, 1 Clunies Ross Court (Off Miles Platting Road), Eight Mile Plains. Preceded by lunch for those who can join us.
  • Melbourne: Thursday February 26, 10am, Malvern Valley Golf and Reception Centre, Silk Room, Golfers Drive, Malvern East. Followed by lunch for those who can join us.
  • Perth: Tuesday March 3, 10am. WA Lotteries office.

If you are considering joining a proactive marketing group to drive your business please make contact with us to enquire about attending one of our meetings.  newsXpress members can sign up using the online booking facility at our website.

Great ink and toner deals from newsXpress

nx_hotink_talker.JPGnewsXpress has demonstrated again to its 160 member newsagents the value of membership of the newsagency marketing group.  In addition to putting together an excellent new Hot Ink offer of branded ink at very competitive prices and backing thie with a national flyer campaign, we have also provided participating members with professional shelf talkers – just the one in the photo for the popular Canon BCI-3 ink.  These shelf talkers promote hero products from HP, Canon, Epson and Brother.  They show us off as having brand name products at excellent prices.

In addition to professional in-store collateral, newsXpress members have access to exclusive pricing, national marketing, ranging advice and assistance,branding and professional online marketing.  Access to all of these business building resources is provided to newsXpress members for no additional cost, it is part of the overal monthly marketing group membership fee of $495.

newsXpress is able to fund its comprehensive ink and toner marketing and support package thanks to the support of its preferred supplier.  newsXpress members make the relationship work by only buying from our preferred supplier.

newsXpress supports QNF conference

newsXpress has signed on as a Platinum sponsor of the QNF state conference to be held on March 24 this year. This is another example of newsXpress financially supporting events which help all newsagents access training and facilities for improving their businesses. Our financial commitment and active participation in the QNF conference is further evidence of our support for and with the newsagency channel.

Guiding members into gifts

Our merchandise team has developed a plan for helping newsXpress members navigate the large Sydney Gift fair next week. We will have people on the ground scouting suppliers and leading teams on the floor of the show as well as providing advice on the best way to get through such a large event. We will get together to debrief and relax with a drink.

newsXpress continues to evolve its gift offer for members and this Fair next week is another way we are able to practically help members learn how to enter this most regarding product category.

Bushfire support and stories

newsXpress members are sharing stories with us about how their customers are reacting to our invitation for them to leave their loose change as a donation to the bushfire appeal. Across the counter, with the donations, come stories of family members and friends touched by the tragedy in Victoria. Listening to each story and providing another way to support the Red Cross appeal helps newsXpress newsagents to demonstrate their community connection.

Our members also give out the Red Cross direct donation access point details for customers who whist to make a more considerable donation than loose change from a sale.

We are grateful to the Red Cross for their help in ensuring that the advice we provide is accurate and best suited to their wonderful efforts.

Lease advice for newsagents

newsXpress, as part of its services to newsXpress members, provides lease advice through our own lease consultant. With years of experience dealing with major landlords and independent developers and an excellent knowledge of the needs and challenges of newsagents, Chris Hicks is able to take the emotion out of navigating complex and potentially expensive lease issues.

Chris is available to newsXpress members to help them get what is often the largest cost in their business under control.
Around thirty new leases were negotiated for newsXpress members last year. Being able to do this work under a national brand and to consistent standards makes dealing with many landlords easier.

Bushfire appeal advice sent to newsXpress members

Following further advice from the Red Cross, newsXpress today published guidelines for our member newsagents on how to collect change from customers to be on-forwarded to the red Cross.  At the same time, we have provided material for our members to use to encourage their customers to donate direct to the Red Cross.  Below is a copy of one of the notices we have provided to our members.

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newsXpress has members in Victoria directly affected and we have offered practical assistance to these businesses.

Driving traffic, sales and margin with books

fday_booksale.JPGnewsXpress has just pitched its first book offer for the year. Targeting the busiest time of the year in book sales, the offer enables newsXpress members to enter this market easily, efficiently and profitably. Thanks to our supplier relationship, participating newsXpress members will have a compelling book offer which will drive excellent sales. It will be supported by advertising which will pull new customers to newsXpress locations.

Last year, thanks to newsXpress support, some members saw book sales quadruple, making the bottom line return more valuable per square metre than magazines.

newsXpress supports bushfire appeal

newsXpress has had discussions with the Red Cross today about how its members and their customers can support the Red Cross Victorian Bushfilre Appeal.  The Red Cross has asked that for the moment all donations are made direct – this provides appropriate tracking and receipting.  newsXpress is due to talk with the red cross tomorrow following further discussions within the Red Cross on how we and others may be able to more practically assist.

Hot deals exclusively at newsXpress newsagencies

member_hot_deals.jpgAs the newsXpress brand has grown we have been receiving more pitches from suppliers with special deals for our members. Our new website has been further enhanced to provide a platform through which we can announce these deals to members for their rapid action. We have deals loaded already with more to be loaded over the next few days.

We will continue to email members about preferred supplier relationships, seasonal offers and new category offers.  The new website platform is for hot deals which are for a limited time – the types of deals you will want to place in a high traffic area of your newsagency to show that you have great deals like the big guys.

Only members will be able to access these newsXpress exclusive deals.