newsagency management | newsXpress Blog

newsXpress hosts newsagency management meeting for Tasmanian members

Several of the newsXpress team will be in launceston Tuesday for a regional newsagency management round table. This confidential discussion will centre on business building opportunities and challenges confronted locally. It’s part of the newsXpress approach to providing newsXpress members with networking opportunities.

These regional meetings have no set agenda, newsXpress members themselves determine what they would like covered … and this is usually set based on local business needs.

Access to these meetings is free for newsXpress members.

Optimism helps drive retail sales for newsXpress

Many newsXpress members have embraced optimism as a theme in their product purchasing at recent gift fairs and the toy fair in Melbourne. By bringing in products that reflect optimism in words and images the newsXpress members are creating happy shops … happy shops make for happy customers.

Optimism is infectious. It plays out well for the shoppers and the business. We encourage all newsXpress members to make the conscious choice to play in this space of optimism – it’s better than playing the price game as history has shown chasing a price point difference to be a mugs game with little shopper loyalty and no long-term upside for the business.

newsXpress thinks about moves like this carefully and shares insights designed to help members to make the most of moods like optimism. The result is good for our member businesses, suppliers and, most important, shoppers.

Messages of optimism sell.

Business roundtable focuses on newsXpress member business growth

On the day after our national conference in Melbourne last week, one of the optional activities was a half-day business round table discussion in the boardroom of our head office.

Here, twelve newsXpress members got to talk about business, their businesses and retail in general.

This was a practical and confidential business discussion designed to get more newsXpress members sharing with and helping each other. It worked a treat with heartfelt sharing in a confidential environment, providing opportunities for taking on new ideas and opportunities.

That we were able to bring together a diverse group of newsXpress members was appreciated as everyone has a different perspective to contribute to the overall discussion.

This is another newsXpress initiative – helping members more effectively and valuable network with each other without it costing anything and without suppliers pressuring members to spend money. This was pure business … and opportunity warmly embraced and appreciated.

newsXpress members love Melbourne retail tour

The day after the newsXpress national conference in Melbourne last week, a group of newsXpress members and a team from our head office visited a range of retail stores in Melbourne including newsXpress stores – checking out new retail trends and seeing how some are growing their business performance through non-traditional shop floor engagement. In all we had three groups touring.

This newsXpress hosted post-conference tour was another benefit flowing from the national conference … letting newsXpress members from outside Melbourne see businesses we think are making good moves and learning from the work they are doing.

The tour was all about chasing above average business performance – making your newsagency business more valuable as a result. By providing in-store context for some of what was covered at the conference we were able to help participating newsXpress members see new opportunities for their businesses without having to spend big on structural change.

newsXpress hosting a retail tour of Melbourne

newsXpress last week announced details of a retail tour to follow our national conference next month. taking in some key retail locations, newsagencies and non newsagencies, the tour is a free add on to the national conference – giving newsXpress members another opportunity to network, soak up ideas from others and to consider these in the context of the newsXpress experience.

Hosted by newsXpress head office staff, the retail tours will present many opportunities to participating newsXpress members.

This is another way newsXpress helps members build more valuable businesses – by sharing ideas and helping members see opportunities that could work in their businesses. The mix of businesses to be visited has been carefully selected to ensure that each provides takeaways for newsXpress members is city, rural and regional … high street and shopping centre … situations.

newsXpress is a very open group. We research many formats and ideas and share the best with members, leaving members to decide what works best for them. We do not force formats or products on members as each business is different and each owner needs to be able to make local choices.

newsXpress announces confidential business performance workshop

newsXpress has announced details to members of a confidential half-day business performance workshop, to be held the day following our national conference.

This closed-door session will see a group of newsXpress members share with each other business performance and other data for open discussion on performance and exploration of opportunities.

The purpose of the confidential session is to have members challenge each other, to uncover new opportunities and to take newsXpress member networking to a deeper and more engaged level.

Participation is free and only available to newsXpress members. The event is being held in the boardroom of our office. Here is the invitation shares with newsXpress members:

On Wednesday 6th of March, the day after the conference, newsXpress is hosting a three hour workshop to discuss business performance. We have room for up to eight people to meet in the boardroom of our Hawthorn office to share their business performance and discuss these with other newsXpress members. Moderated by Mark Fletcher, this will be a confidential under the hood look at the performance of the participating businesses, to learn what we can from each other, and to challenge ourselves. This session will start at 10am and end by 1pm. Participation is free Confidentiality and openness are important for this session to work.

newsXpress phonecard saves money for newsXpress shoppers

The newsXpress phonecard is a perfect card to help people cut interstate and international call costs. This exclusive newsXpress branded phonecard is an excellent value phonecard, offering access to low cost calls inside Australia as well as overseas.

This is a what you see is what you get phonecard. There are no hidden fees or charges. It offers excellent value and wonderful customer service.

Every time the newsXpress phonecard is used, customers connect withy the newsXpress brand. The money they save, the calls they make, the service they receive … these all connect with the newsXpress brand.

Now is the perfect time for newsXpress members to be promoting the newsXpress phonecard and offering it to regular customers as well as to those travelling in our areas.

The newsXpress phonecard is a product of which we are most proud.

Diversity in newsagency marketing group membership helps all newsXpress members

The survey of newsXpress newsagency marketing group members late in 2012 provided an excellent insight into the types of businesses operated under the newsXpress shingle. The results show a diverse group of members covering a good geographic spread and a nice range of retail situations.

There is strength in diversity with members being able to learn from each other and with the group being able to attract an excellent range of suppliers. The breadth of coverage demonstrates to prospective newsXpress members that size does not matter, what is important is the people joining and that they are committed to growing their business and representing the newsXpress brand professionally in their area.

While there are many common offers, threads and products weaving the newsXpress network together, there is also diversity from which many opportunities in the future will flow.

the up-to-date understanding of the types of businesses in the newsXpress community was a small part of the data harvested through the survey.

Why newsXpress is working with Coke and the value this brings to newsXpress members

newsXpress is the only newsagency marketing group to have a formal relationship with Coca Cola, the largest and most successful beverage company in Australia and the world.

newsXpress has developed the relationship over the last year and a half and in 2013 is driving even more value for newsXpress shoppers, newsXpress members, Coke and some of our partners.

We have recently had an opportunity to learn more about Coke, its positioning, its values and how this connects with us at a landmark international conference. This reinforced the important of the decision to focus on the relationship with Coke.

When you are working with the best consumer brand anything else is not what it could be.

Here are some key points about the value of the Coke brand and its connection with today’s consumer:

Coke is a brand that inspires optimism and happiness and hope.
Coke’s mission is about refreshing the world. It does this using a message of happiness and optimism.
Millenial consumers very concerned about the environemnt. Coke connects with them. On … water stewardship … recycling … climate protection.
Coke engages consumers with stories with strong and emotional content. The stories share value and create connections. This creates brand love and shared value.
Stories are the new currency for Coke in bulding their brand.
Coke invites all businesses to join in this journey on happiness and shared values.
The biggest shift in retail being driven by techology / mobility.

newsXpress is delivering strategic and valuable partnerships to newsXpress members, partnerships which bring their own shopper traffic and help drive greater engagement from existing shoppers.

newsXpress Australia Day competition opportunity

newsXpress members have been provided with an opportunity to run a local competition connecting with Australia Day.

Offered as part of our exclusive local area marketing suite, our Australia Day competition is a wonderful way for newsXpress members to connect with their local community on this important and treasured national day.

We know that newsXpress members love being local and they embrace local community connection opportunities.

Our Australia Day competition is simple – entrants are asked to draw or write about what Australia Day means to them. Judging is local. Prizes are local. This is a perfect local store, local area marketing opportunity.

this is another excellent example of the newsXpress difference in action … helping newsXpress members to engage with their customers and local area in an exclusive and creative way.

newsXpress members promoting marie claire magazine

The latest issue of marie claire magazine is being promoted across the newsXpress network right now. It’s packed with excellent content plus bonuses.

FREE Aveeno Moisturiser, plus 20% off online fashion hub ASOS – wonderful bonuses.

newsXpress customers are sure to love the 24-page marie claire at work special with career tips, style hits and the secrets of successful women. They will also have the chance to WIN a $1,000 beauty-floor shopping spree by voting in the Prix de marie claire Readers’ Choice Awards.

The launch of this special issue has been promoted with emails to tens of thousands of shoppers located near newsXpress stores – with emails detailing local store locations.

Gummi night lights show off newsagency marketing group innovation

newsXpress newsagency marketing group members have access to an excellent range of products from preferred suppliers. Many suppliers offer products with which newsXpress members can redefine the newsagency shopping experience and through this buils a healthier margin story.

Take the gummi lights available through one of our preferred suppliers. While some newsagents diss these as not appropriate to a newsagency, they are generating traffic and sales and have earned their place in a newsagency of the future, a newsagency that is targeting a broader cross-section of shoppers than the old school newsagency.

While the gummi products of themselves will not make a business successful, they are another step in the redefinition of the business and the shoppers it is attracting, they are a product around which wonderful business success can be built.

Our new Westfield Southland store is building terrific success with these.

The Christmas window difference

newsXpress Canterbury in Victoria is a proud member of our newsagency marketing group, representing newsXpress professionally in the respected and premium Maling Road shopping street in Canterbury. The photo shows the window display for Christmas, featuring newsXpress products and opportunities for Canterbury shoppers.

You can see gifts from our Christmas catalogue, gifts from preferred suppliers and wonderful use of our exclusive Christmas collateral.

This is a wonderful Christmas window display. It has been up for some weeks and has been working well for newsXpress Canterbury.

newsXpress phonecard offers expanded services

newsXpress was proud recently to announce to members of its newsagency marketing group that thanks to diligent work there are now three uses for the newsXpress phone card product. These three valuable reasons are:

Call international for as cheap as 1c per minute with no additional fees or hidden cost,
Make Australia wide STD calls to landlines for 25c untimed. Landline providers usually charge 25c per minute, where we charge only 25c per call…… UNTIMED!!
Then our newest feature, the Global App which now gives customers access to use the card from overseas while travelling to make calls using their newsXpress calling card from a smart phone, laptop or tablet for the same price as if they are in Australia. So call back from overseas to an Australian landline for only 25 cents un-timed.

These opportunities demonstrate the value of the newsXpress phone card as what we call the best value phone card in Australia.

Best practice Jingle and Belle display

Check out the best practice approach to using the Jingle and Belle display unit from Hallmark at newsXpress Knox. Click on the image to see the detail.

In addition to the story books, this display is promoting a range of Hallmark Christmas products, making the display more valuable on the shop floor for the highly-prized Christmas shopper who walks the shop as if on a treasure hunt.

This stand is working well at newsXpress Knox, driving excellent results and presenting a strong brand message in-store.

Click on the image.

newsXpress members talk newsagency management in Perth

Newsagency marketing and newsagency management were on the agenda when Western Australian members of newsXpress got together late last week in Perth.

Over the course of four hours the group and some newsXpress management shared ideas, insights and opportunities in pursuit of more successful businesses.

It is at round-table free-flowing discussions like these where terrific business ideas emerge – ideas for local businesses and ideas that newsXpress can take more widely than just in Western Australia.

newsXpress has a unique offer for newsagents as demonstrated through the latest member meetings. Facilitating proactive discussion between newsagents unlocks genuine business growth opportunities, often without the need to invest further capital in the business.

Excellent newsXpress member meeting in Melbourne

newsXpress members who participated in the member meeting in Melbourne last week are providing excellent feedback on the experience.

Hosted at the Kooyong tennis centre, right next to centre court, the event was an excellent mix of product and business management discussion. Several suppliers had special offers available and one of our FMCG suppliers, exclusive to newsXpress, shared valuable shopper basket insights based on a professional analysis of basket data from close to 30 newsXpress outlets.

newsXpress provides access to excellent supplier deals and backs these with commercially valuable insights that help stores convert supplier deals into cash in the bank sooner.

A feature of the meeting was a two-hour open forum in which everyone participated, sharing ideas from their own businesses. The free-flowing discussion covered products, newspaper distribution, future changes in retail, shop leases, business planning, staffing and plenty of other topics. It was an excellent and open networking session. newsXpress members not at the meeting have been able to see comments from participants at our private communications page.

This member meeting in Melbourne showed off the value of being part of newsXpress on a range of levels. We are grateful to newsXpress members and suppliers who took time out of their businesses to participate.

Promoting to shoppers at the counter

newsXpress East Maitland promotes magazines and Optus SIM cards to shoppers as they enter the business with these tactically placed slim display units.

Each unit presents an clear value proposition.

The Optus unit promotes the $2 SIM cards – an easy purchase.

The Pacific Magazines unit promotes the opportunity to win $250 with three current a popular titles featuring in the floor display unit.

Placing these units in high traffic locations and ensuring they are stocked with current product is vital to their success. The placement at newsXpress East Maitland is perfect – shoppers see then units as they walk in the door and as they head to the counter with their purchases.

Getting shoppers to add to their shopping basket is the icing on the cake as they say. newsXpress presents its members with plenty of opportunities to ice their cake thanks to some wonderful impulse purchase opportunities from our partner suppliers.

Considering new corporate stores

newsXpress has been offered three new store locations in recent weeks. One is a greenfield location and two would be replacing existing businesses which wish to exit their respective locations.

We are working through a structured process as we research and consider each opportunity. This process included competitive analysis, budgeting and what we could do with the business.

Regardless of where we end up with the opportunities, the process is valuable for newsXpress as it refreshes our experience with situations encountered by members as they work through similar opportunities.

newsXpress announces more training opportunities for retail staff in newsXpress outlets

newsXpress has announced another EXCLUSIVE in-store training session for employees of newsXpress member businesses.

This session, later this month on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland will deliver training on visual merchandising and magazine management.

newsXpress members will send employees for the free training which will be delivered in a newsXpress member location. This is the real value of the training – delivering it to the people who directly work in these areas of newsXpress businesses.

The three hour training sessions in magazine management and visual merchandising will deliver skills which enable newsXpress store employees to better serve the businesses in which they work as well as build their personal portfolio of skills. It is practical and valuable training showing off the newsXpress difference.

This training is a new service developed and delivered by newsXpress this year at no cost to newsXpress employees.