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Great ink deals in Lismore NSW

Luke Scott and the team at newsXpress Scott’s Lismore are pleased to have the offers and resources of newsXpress to help drive their business. As their front window shows, they are leveraging the newsXpress ink offer to make a bold statement they they are the INK AND TONER DESTINATION in Lismore.

The newsXpress philosophy is provide access to good product at competitive prices, to support this with professional national marketing and to provide in-store face to face advice on execution. Luke and the team have embraced all these newsXpress deliverables to drive an excellent ink and toner offer for everyone in Lismore and surrounding areas. The result is excellent growth for the business through Christmas and January. What a great business story!

newsXpress appoints single national ink supplier

newsXpress has announced the first of several new initiatives in the ink and toner space for its member newsagents planned for 2009. Tonnex International has been appointed the preferred supplier of ink and toner to newsXpress members.

Trading under the newsXpress created and owned Hot Ink! brand, ink has developed into a key category for our stores. We support this through national TV advertising, a national letterbox campaign and creative in-store POS and other collateral to drive excellent sales.

newsXpress further supports Hot Ink! with back office services heloing our members access the wisdom our our network of successful newsagents in this category.

New national confectionery deal for newsXpress newsagents

newsXpress has announced new and valuable commercial terms for the supply of leading brand name confectionery to newsXpress member newsagencies. This new relationship opens new products, better margin and a new supply channel to newsXpress members. It has been negotiated by our National Merchandise team, a group dedicated to delivering the best value possible to our members.

National advertising helps newsXpress newsagents

newsXpress has undertaken more national advertising, across four separate campaigns, over the last year than any newsagency marketing group.

Our national advertising on TV and print, drives traffic to newsXpress newsagencies and reinforces the value of our national brand to suppliers and landlords. This focus on national advertising is behind the latest ad we are running in newsagency channel trade journals.

Our in-house creative team has developed the ad to reflect the value of our advertising and the different approach we take to getting our message across.

Trent Shields, newsXpress’ national Marketing Manager, felt that ads to newsagents ought to reflect the vitality and fresh approach of the group. Watch out in the Queensland Newsagent and National Newsagent for these new ads from newsXpress.

New uniform supplier for newsXpress

After months of exhaustive research and trials, newsXpress has appointed a new uniform supplier. This new supplier has made available a range of newsXpress branded uniforms for our members and their teams to wear in-store to proudly represent the brand.

From behind the counter to the back of the shop we are positioned to present a professional and consistent face across our newsagent marketing group nationally.

Valentine’s Power End (part 2)

The visual merchandising team at our newsXpress Frankston location have made excellent use of the Hallmark and newsXpress marketing collateral – built around the free Sunbeam coffee machine being given away to one lucky customer. Like many newsXpress stores, the team has bought well from newsXpress suppliers, choosing appropriately for their specific demographic.

For seasons like Valentine’s Day, newsXpress provide a range of options for members and they select according to their local needs. We understand that there are times when a consistent national range and price is important and times when local needs take precedence. newsXpress is flexible in its approach and puts the needs of our members first.

Valentine’s Power End (part 1)

Phil and Wendy Banks at newsXpress Glendale have a reputation in their region for gifts. They have built this carefully by attending trade shows and listening to their customers. Phil and Wendy were at the Reed Gift Fair in Melbourne this weekend – already planning for later this year. Back at their shop, their Valentine’s Day marketing was in full swing. They have a brand new range of gifts and are using the newsXpress marketing collateral (provided through our new website) to good effect.

Welcome to newsXpress

We are thrilled to welcome six new members to newsXpress today, February 1, 2009.

newsXpress Sorrento Quay, WA
newsXpress Sandgate, QLD
newsXpress Maryborough, VIC
newsXpress Fourways, TAS
newsXpress Toronto, NSW
newsXpress Cooma, NSW

We will work closely with these new members to help them bring newsXpress rewards to their businesses and to unlock ways they can contribute to other members.

Growing nationally is important to us and to the goals we have for our group and our members.

If you want to achieve more from your newsagency, consider newsXpress. Use the contact us page on our website to enquire.

Sunbeam espresso machine prize for Valentine’s Day

Buy a Hallmark Valentine’s Day card at a participating newsXpress newsagency between now and February 14 and go in the draw to win a Sunbeam Espresso Machine. There is one Espresso machine on offer per participating newsXpress store – great odds for a great gift this Valentine’s Day. As the posters in-store say, Brew a little love … thanks to Hallmark and newsXpress.

newsXpress is proud to be part of this national campaign by Hallmark. Each store will conduct its own draw and call winners to let them know of their success with Hallmark and newsXpress.

Local prizes have been a successful marekting tool for our newsagency marketing group and are, in our view, a another reason our year on year (same store) greeting card sales growth is better than other newsagents.

Second online member meeting for newsagents

newsXpress is announcing today a second member meeting for 2009 – an online meeting on Thursday February 5 at 3pm. The 3pm start will enable this to be a national meeting, covering all time zones. The meeting will preview the remainder of quater one 2009 activity, present several newsXpress exclusive product deals and facilitate a general business discussion. Access to the meeting is open to newsXpress members only. To participate, you will need a computer with broadband and access to a phone for a toll free call for the audio part of the meeting.

Our online member meetings are in addition to our face to face capital city and regional member meetings and in-store visits made with members on a regular basis. newsXpress places high importance in getting like-minded newsagents together to talk about business and collectively develop strategies for member businesses and the group as a whole.

The team behind newsXpress

We brought the newsXpress team together yesterday to discuss plans for 2009, standards around our brand and look at several soon to be released member offers. From marketing to merchandise, newsagency business development to board level, the day was an excellent opportunity to continue to evolve the culture of newsXpress and remind ourselves of our commitment to deliver measureable value and rewards to the newsagents and newsagencies which we serve.

We have a skilled and committed team working for newsXpress from the front line through to back office processes. This team is a tremendous point of difference for newsXpress and what it can achieve with member newsagents.

Shop at newsXpress and win a Nintendo Wii

We are in the home stretch of our Nintendo Wii competition and the entries are rolling in as customers who have purcahsed eligible Back To School product at a newsXpress store go to our website and enter their details. We are giving away 20 Nintendo Wii.

We selected the Wii as the prize because it’s something for the whole family. From games to educational software, the Wii serves many uses and is a perfect gift for the back To School season!

newsXpress is proud to be the first newsagency marketing group to run in-store competitions where entry is through the website. It’s our way of introducing our new website to consumers and making entry faster and easier.

First newsXpress members meeting for 2009

Yesterday, Ben Kay, our National Merchandise Manager, hosted the first newsXpress members meeting for 2009. This was an online members meeting and covered a range of topics. Since the meeting was online, newsXpress members logged in from their shops and homes – wherever was convenient. We are hosting another meeting in the next two weeks.

These online member meetings are a great way for newsXpress members to connect with each other, hear about new deals, provide feedback, receive training and talk about business with fellow newsXpress members.

Access is free and part of newsXpress member services.

Finding employees with initiative

Since the launch of our new newsXpress wbesite late last year we have been receiving employment applications from people keen to work with specific newsXpress stores. We are able, corporately, vet these applicants for members. If one member is not looking for employees and another nearby is we are able to redirect the application.

This is another way our new website is helping newsXpress members. Finding good employees is a challenge. Applicants coming through our website have shown good initiative – a trait important in retail staff.

Our website continues to evolve, at the back end, to deliver excellent facilities exclusively for our member newsagents.

Valentine’s Day marketing collateral

In addition to the excellent marketing collateral provided by Hallmark for newsXpress members as part of the Alliance program, newsXpress has produced artwork for A4 and A3 posters for our members to use with Valentine’s Day gift displays. Given that gift displays may not be mixed with card displays, we saw a need for additional collateral. Having this extra marketing collateral available means newsXpress members can more effectively dress a second and third Valentine’s Day display and thereby drive better sale outcomes.

newsXpress members can access the artwork from our website. We will also send printed material to stores who request this – at no cost.

The importance of standards

An article in the Sydney Morning Herald on Saturday about the Vinnies Op Shops run by the St Vincent de Paul Society, is a timely reminder for retailers, and newsagents in particular, about the importance of standards around a national brand. Without commenting on the politics of the changes being applied to Vinnies locations, it is important for a national brand to be more than a logo on a wall or hung as a shingle over a shop.

At newsXpress we are committed to strength behind the brand. The extent on this strength will be evident in the first round of members meetings we will run this year. We will demonstrate the importance not only to our members but newsagents more broadly the importance of a strong brand which is respected with consistency in every location in which the brand trades.

The newsXpress brand, what it stands for and how it is managed is another newsXpress point of difference.

newsXpress tagged in national TV and radio campaign

newsXpress is proud to be the only newsagency marketing group tagged ABW in a national TV and radio campaign featuring the new Schoolzone range. newsXpress is tagged along with national retailers, very proud company.

Each station & time-slot being used in the campaign is either the number 1 or number 2 rated for the appropriate demographic – grocery buyers with children aged 5-12 years.

This TV and Radio coverage coincides with the national TV campaign being run by newsXpress to promote its Back To School offers.

Electronic media exposure such as we are seeing for our brand at present is crucial to creating a difference in the minds of consumers for our retail brand over other retail newsagent brand. We are grateful yo the folks behind Schoolzone for their support of newsXpress.

The newsXpress mission for newsagents

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

More than words on a screen or a page, this is our mission statement. It defines our purpose and our goals. It frames every decision we make on behalf of our members.

We know that if we make our members successful, we will be successful.

Branding and back to school

The team and newsXpress Castle Towers has created a terrific outpost for Back To School at Castle Towers Shopping Centre. They have a full range of product from exercise books to pencil boxes, to highlighters to sketch pads. The outpost rivals that of any national retailer. The newsXpress Castle Towers team have every reason to be proud.

Visually, what you cannot miss as you approach the Back To School outpost is the newsXpress branded red bags. In addition to branding the outpost, these bags contain prepackaged Back To School items by grade – making shopping even easier.

How to choose a newsagency marketing group

newsXpress is pleased to publish How to choose the right marketing group for your newsagency. Newsagents will find this useful in evaluating newsagency marketing groups and newsagency franchise groups. It offers straightforward advice which will stand up to rigorous assessment.

We are expecting critics. These are likely to be those we caution against in the report – the newsagency marketing and franchise groups which seek to lock newsagents into five year agreements, which want first right of refusal if you try and sell your business or stop you from joining another group for a year after you leave.

The key advice we provide to newsagents considering joining a newsagency marketing or franchise group is to understand what you want, take your time to thoroughly evaluate the options and check the claims. Good marketing groups have nothing to fear from such an approach. newsXpress would be glad to help you compare its offer with any other you are considering for your newsagency.