Category: About us

Storytime: a bouquet of purple pens

Storytime.  A guy in his mid 70s put eight different purple pens and markers on the counter. “Someone likes purple,” I said with a smile in my usual, somewhat cliché, small talk at the counter way. His lip quivered, a tear formed. I felt a chill. He faintly smiled. “They’re for my wife,” he spoke slowly and softly, “she has dementia. Purple was, is, her favourite colour. I want to give her things she might remember.”

I opened a pack of purple tissue paper and wrapped the pens into a small posy and tied that with a purple ribbon. “She will love that,” he said, with a broad smile.

The stories we hear are personal and heart-warming. They make retail more meaningful.

Storytime: the Spirax Music Book and the song about our town

Storytime. 12 years ago, when I sold Toby his first Spirax Music Book, I told him to come and play for me one day. He was in high school then and told me he had plans to be a songwriter. As I was closing up a couple of nights ago, this guy came in with a guitar over his shoulder. “Hey, I’m Toby. Remember me? I promised you a song.” Next thing you know, the Spirax Music Book was on the counter and open and he was playing his guitar and singing. It was a ballad about growing up in our small town.

Some days we experience pure joy in discovering the creativity of others using what we sell.

Recognising International Women’s Day

International Women’s Day was created at a time when respect for women was not great. While it is better today, it is not where it could be. I wish we were in a world where the day was not necessary, a world where women were respected and treated as genuine equals in all business, in all homes and everywhere in the community, in pay, in leadership, in government … not because we have been told to live this way but because we choose to live this way. Until then, we have International Women’s Day to celebrate women and appreciate their contribution. Women of newsXpress, we thank you and appreciate you not only today but every day.

This is newsXpress, your local newsagency marketing group

newsXpress is a newsagency marketing group. We provide support for 230 locally owned small business newsagency businesses, helping them compete with big business.

We do this through smart technology, websites, in store advice, marketing and access to wonderful products.

Our local newsXpress is a local business, a family owned business, a business helping to bring innovative wonderful products to regional Australia to help Australians not have to buy from big business retailers.

Why newsXpress only publishes a fraction of its innovation here

newsXpress publishes very little of its innovation here and elsewhere publicly because others have been copying our innovation. What we research and bring to life for newsXpress members is for them as they are paying to be part of our group. Others need to discover innovation for themselves.

Several of our supplier partners complained that they were hit with requests following things we published here so we are careful to not be too specific.

This approach helps newsXpress members retail more benefits for themselves with others less likely to be able to copy them.

Hong Kong gift fair supplier trip

With the Hong Kong Gift Fair drawing to a close, the newsXpress delegation is exhausted after many meetings with a broad range of Australian and other suppliers. This has been by far our best trip to the Hong Kong Gift Fair ever with plenty of opportunities explored and new relationships opened for exploration.

newsXpress appreciates the support of its suppliers in helping to make this visit brim with opportunity.

newsXpress visits HMK store

hmkThe newsXpress leadership team spent considerable time at the Hallmark HMK store in Kansas City earlier this week as part of a full week of briefings, meetings, back room insights and retail research with Hallmark senior management. HMK is one of many innovations being developed by Hallmark and getting a behind the scenes look at the business was a treat for our team as they plan well into 2015.

newsXpress Family Circle promotion seen by 62,000+

familycircleA newsXpress promotion on Facebook (and Twitter) of Family Circle magazine and our retail network as the go-to retailers for the title has been seen by more than 62,000 facebook users.

newsXpress is running facebook campaigns as part of its out-of-store marketing of key products and our retail network. This activity is all about brand awareness for us and the products we are promoting such as Family Circle.

The Facebook posts also drive engagement with the newsXpress website as consumers ask us more questions as a result. Watch for more of these campaigns in 2014 as we reach out further.

newsXpress helping newsagents: Grow Your Own Way

nxgrowyourownNewsagency marketing group newsXpress is gaining traction with newsagents through its Grow Your Own Way call to action campaign.

Delivering access to a model of business flexibility backed by a broad range of valuable supplier options the Grow Your Own Way campaign is resonating with newsagents for its positivity, flexibility and recognition that newsagency businesses are local businesses with local needs.

newsXpress gives members flexibility to grow their businesses in areas appropriate to those businesses. Our job as a newsagency marketing group is to give members the tools and opportunities at the best possible terms.