greeting cards | newsXpress Blog

Making Money from Greeting Cards

In another first for the newsagency channel, newsXpress hosted the first of a series of Greeting Card training workshops yesterday in Melbourne. The Making Money from Greeting Cards workshop was run by Ron Thorpe, one of the most experienced greeting card professionals in Australia. This workshop now moves to Brisbane later this week.

Packed with practical advice, this session provided attendees with a clear action-plan for greeting cards in their newsagencies. Part of this action-plan was developed through two interactive sessions with newsagents sharing ideas with others.

Too often, newsagents leave greeting cards to be managed by their card company. Over the course of half a day, Ron shared practical strategies which newsXpress members can use to work this category to greater commercial advantage. His advice was drawn from decades of experience with Hallmark and a thorough knowledge of worldwide best practice in greeting card retail.

newsXpress has developed this workshop as another way the group helps members achieve a better return from their businesses and thereby improve the sale value when it comes time to exit from the business.

newsXpress newsagents can expect to achieve more from the Greeting Card category than an average newsagency. This is, in part, thanks to having Ron Thorpe on our team and delivering training like the workshop yesterday.

Making money from Greeting Cards

newsXpress is proud to announce the launch of its first Workshop series: How to Make Money from Greeting Cards. Developed and run by Ron Thorpe, formerly a senior executive with Hallmark Cards, this four hour workshop (followed by lunch) will provide practical help for any newsagent wanting to grow greeting card sales. The workshop content will include:

How to see new retail sales opportunities
Planning for extra sales
How to increase the average sale
Why you need to embrace the greeting cards category

Too many newsagents treat greeting cards as a set-and-forget category. Our approach at newsXpress is to provide members with exclusive tools which help drive card sales and ensure that these are as valuable as possible. Click here for more details and a booking form for the Ron Thorpe workshop.

We know from sales data that newsXpress newsagents lead the newsagent channel in year on year card sales performance. This workshop is part of our strategy to help our stores to continue to lead the industry.

newsXpress will announce details of more workshops in the coming months.

Win a watch for Dad

newsXpress stores are each offering a watch for one lucky Dad this Father’s Day. Run in association with Hallmark, this competition is popular because it offers a prize at the store level. Newsagents tell us this is important, that one of their customers is guaranteed to win. The watch promotion is another way newsXpress newsagencies are playing in a different space to many others. While the watch is on offer to Hallmark Alliance Program newsagents, newsXpress members are part of the Alliance program for no cost – this is a key deliverable from joining newsXpress.

A typical newsXpress store, embracing all of the marketing and support in the greeting card space, will achieve same store year on year sales growth in the double digits without giving away margin. newsXpress offers a host of strategies which guide this outcome.

At our national conference later this month on the Gold Coast we will share some confidential insights into the greeting card market and seek to help our members power even further ahead in this important category.

GREETING CARD SALES GROWING AT SEYMOUR

Vaughan Lawrence and the team at newsXpress Seymour have grown card sales by 38% since switching to Hallmark Cards. Yes they made some changes by bringing the cards to the front of the store which has also helped, but the stunning growth is mainly attributed to the new range of cards. The added promotions from the Hallmark Alliance Program which is supplied have also been a key contributor to this stunning growth with the store recently giving away a Giant 36″ Forever Friends bear as a part of the promotion.

They cant wait to see the growth at Fathers Day!

Imagine the growth when newsXpress Seymour gets a shop fit which is planned for the future.

STELLAR GROWTH IN GREETING CARDS WITH HALLMARK

John Klemm at newsXpress Klemms Mildura has started trading with Hallmark as part of him joining newsXpress. The Hallmark strategic relationship has been extremely beneficial for all parties concerned and their strong and bold branding plus quality product have seen massive sales increases throughout the newsXpress network.

All John can say is that he is astounded with the growth in his greeting card sales. The pictures tell the story!

newsXpress Woden enjoy a well earned Interfit!

newsXpress Woden in the ACT have spent the last three weeks operating off trestle tables in their shopping centre due to a brand new shopfit being completed in their store.

Despite the tight time-lines interfit retail completed on schedule and Anthony and Nicole were able to open on time today!

The shop looks sensational, and team at newsXpress Woden are equally excited, tired, proud and motivated!!!

Promotion impact at newsXpress Beechworth

If you have visited newsXpress Beechworth in the last few weeks there can be no doubt that they are spreading the Care & Friendship message loud and proud!

Tracy, Vaughan and the team have done a fantastic job of both highlighting the consumer competition (win a giant 36″ Forever Friends Bear) but also merchandising their range of Forever Friends and Wellington product in a manner that makes it both enticing to prospective consumers and also maximises the opportunity for add on sales.

newsXpress Warrnambool embracing promotions

newsXpress Warrnambool wholeheartedly embraced the exclusive Hallmark Alliance Care & Friendship promotion with stunning results.

As a relatively new member to the group they have already implemented a number of our key strategies and business models which are proving a motivating force.

Adapting to suit changing needs of consumers

Brett and Alexandra Carey of newsXpress Deception Bay have done a magnificent job combining two very different promotions and also introducing a new ‘kid’s corner’ initiative.

The Care & Friendship Promotion exclusive to newsXpress through the Hallmark Alliance relationship builds sales by encouraging customers to purchase multiple products in the Forever Friends and Welloington Bear range – the prize a giant 36″ cuddly Forever Friends Bear!

The ABW Mid-Year Book promotion as seen in the photos has proved a great success throughout our network of stores.

And finally the introduction of a ‘kiddies corner’ which encourages greater duration of time shopping the store, while also providing a conscientious and creative local community service.

Buy in a key to the ‘upsell’

newsXpress Kin Kora are always one of the first to share their great merchandising standards and ideas with the rest of the network and the current care & Friendship Promotion is no exception.

Proprietors Sarah and Ian have been able to convey the promotion excitement to their key team members who have enthusiastically outlined the event to all customers especially trying to upsell product when one qualifying purchase has been made.

INNOVATION AT THE NEW newsXpress CROWS NEST

The new newsXpress store at Crows Nest in Sydney is full of new innovation.
It’s worth traveling to, so you can check it out with plenty of new money revenue products on hand. In its first week of trading sales are very strong with new products introduced doing particularly.

Features include: HOT ink!, gifts built into magazine tierage, full face card area, large gift assortments, and an excellent use of space.

With some more refinement, everything should be completed by the end of the month.

STAGE ONE OF THE REBRAND – HALLMARK CARDS INSTALLED & MAKING A MASSIVE DIFFERENCE

The team at newsXpress Seymour led by Vaughan Lawrence who also own newsXpress Beechworth have just finished stage one of their rebrand to newsXpress. They have completely rearranged the shop putting in Hallmark cards and bringing the cards to the front of the store and bringing huge growth in greeting card sales, Hot Ink! has taken off nicley, installed the Canson Creative center and the cardboard range and culled old money ranges area to fit in a whole lot of new money products. In the next 12-18 months the store will undergo a complete re-fit.

CARE & FRIENDSHIP MONTH – EXCLUSIVE TO newsXpress

A few years ago Terry Augustine at newsXpress Browns Plains came up with an in between seasons campaign to bolster greeting card sales. It has since evolved into a major campaign for newsXpress so much so that it is an exclusive Hallmark – newsXpress Alliance promotion.

Care and Friendship at Salamander Bay

The 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 27^th of July it is sure to attract some attention and build sales at Salamander Bay.

EXCLUSIVE ALLIANCE PROMOTION WITH HALLMARK

In recognition of the massive volumes of Hallmark merchandise being driven by the newsXpress group of stores, Hallmark have decided to provide an exclusive Alliance promotion for newsXpress.

The Care & Friendship promotion is a newsXpress exclusive which has been running for a few years originally initiated by newsXpress proprietor Terry Augustine. Hallmark have seized the chance to partner in this promotion and the creative is nothing short of brilliant. Look out for some huge sales at newsXpress stores in July.

newsXpress gives back to its stores by providing the Hallmark Alliance program free of charge to its members. Hallmark Alliance Program

Trade advertisement for the newsXpress exclusive Care & Friendship promotion in conjunction with the Hallmark Alliance Program as featured in the June edition of National Newsagent.