newsagency management | newsXpress Blog

Help With Buying a Newsagency in Queensland

If you are in the process of looking through Newsagencies for sale in Queensland, the Queensland Newsagents Federation is conducting one of their regular free monthly seminars this coming Wednesday March the 16th, starting at 6pm. QNF Sales hold these regular evening seminars to provide prospective buyers with an overview of the newsagency industry. These seminars are free of charge and provide essential information to prospective newsagents. We would strongly urge anyone considering entering the industry to attend one of these seminars. Information covered on the night includes:

Industry Overview & Sales Margins
Industry Contracts Buyer considerations
Financing your purchase
Purchase due diligence
Training/Takeover process
Sales Consultants will also be available at each seminar to discuss personal requirements.

Places for the seminars are limited, therefore bookings are essential. To secure your booking, go to http://www.nsq.com.au/assets/seminars.html or email the QNF at info@qnfsales.com.au.

Promoting Great Ink Deals at Sunbury

newsXpress Sunbury is promoting the excellent value of the latest newsXpress HOT Ink! catalogue compared to ink prices from nearby competitors. Their new ink wall is laid out by brand and using shelf price tickets provided by newsXpress to coincide with the HOT Ink! catalogue. This self service wall is what newsXpress recommends. Our experience is that it drives sales and this is proving to be the newsXpress Sunbury experience. Well done to Brendan, Rita and the team for embracing change with the new HOT Ink! wall layout.

If you live in Sunbury and buy ink for your printer at work or at home, check out newsXpress Sunbury. They have an excellent range of brand name inks at excellent prices.

This is another newsXpress difference: delivering products to members at excellent prices, backed by proven traffic generating campaigns and supporting this with valuable insights for driving sales in-store.

Expensive Price Guarantee for The Lucky Charm newsagents

We have the best prices guaranteed and if you find a cheaper price we will beat it by 5%. This is the claim for the latest ink offer by The Lucky Charm, a newsagency franchise group of 20 or so stores.

Comparing the latest ink catalogue published by The Lucky Charm with that just published by newsXpress, any shopper can see that their prices are not the best. While the beat newsXpress prices around 20% of the time, newsXpress beats them for the rest – and that is comparing only against the limited range on the flyer from the Lucky Charm.

newsXpress members can be confident that the HOT Ink! campaign continues to deliver excellent consumer value. Our consistency is unparalleled in the ink category. Our pricing and ranging leadership is backed by professional marketing collateral, in-store strategies and tactics which drive sales and marketing support materials for presenting a professional look for ink.

As for offering to discount 5% below the best price offered by a competitor – talk about expecting your customers to do the work which good retailers should do for themselves. Officeworks uses this tactic often. Our view is that it is lazy.

Here at newsXpress we believe that we have to put out the best offer possible. Our merchandise, marketing and business development teams work hard to help our national retail network deliver this every day.

Newsagency Marketing Group Value on Show

The March in-store offers newsletter from newsXpress demonstrates the value of this exclusive newsagency marketing group. provided free to all newsXpress members for local personalisation prior to printing, this newsletter is packed with product offers for shoppers. The newsletter supports preferred suppliers and presents each newsXpress store with a professional face … helping them compete in look with nearby major retailers.

The newsletter also connects with external marketing undertaken. In the ink category, for example, our newsletter picks up on some of the offers which show newsXpress as offering excellent deals – better than nearby newsagents and better than most nearby major retailers.

By connecting with external campaigns, we are helping newsXpress stores to leverage more value from catalogue and advertised offers. We are demonstrating the value of an integrated approach to campaigns such as ink.

The newsletter demonstrates the genuine value newsXpress brings to preferred supplier relationships. take a look at the coverage in our March 2011 newsletter on The Sticker Family. While some newsagency marketing groups will only want to negotiate a commission on sales to line their pockets, newsXpress seeks out relationships where we can add value, drive sales and create a quadruple win – for the supplier, for the newsXpress member, for newsXpress and, most important, for the shopper.

Each month, prior to the end off the month, newsXpress provides members with an in-store offers newsletter for promoting their businesses. This is part of the regular newsXpress service.

In addition to the monthly newsletters, newsXpress also provides seasonal in-store offers newsletters for promoting seasonal gifts and offers. These have a track record of driving sales of seasonal products.

Helping those buying a newsagency find their feet and grow their businesses

newsXpress is successful attracting people new to the newsagency businesses. Whether it is people buying a newsagency or those who have purchased a newsagency and already running it.

Our training, our networking sessions, our preferred suppliers, our in-store support and our personal assistance on a broad range of issues is proving to be a boon for new newsagents. We help them fast-track to make decisions as if they had been in the business of many years.

newsXpress membership can substitute for experience.

Tapping into the deep well of newsXpress experience in our staff team as well as in our broader membership base, we leverage the group on behalf of these new newsagents and help them more effectively compete than if they were not in newsXpress.

The support for new newsagents has been evident during our recent round of newsXpress member meetings where new newsagents have been able to access a d leverage opportunities which one usually only sees far more experienced newsagents accessing.

This is the newsXpress difference in action, helping newsXpress members create more profitable and successful businesses.

This is another reason newsXpress locations are much sought after by other newsagency marketing groups.

Helping those buying a newsagency

Buying a newsagency can be a challenge for the first time buyer. There is much to evaluate and understand. Plenty to investigate to ensure that you get the right price. And, once you have purchased, much to learn to leverage the best possible return from your newsagency.

Running a newsagency is a challenge in any situation. The goal of newsXpress is to provide access to supplier terms, product deals, management strategies and marketing initiatives which, when engaged, can help you achieve the full potential of your business.

Yes, newsagents…

Attract more customers.
Leverage customer traffic to increase average spend.
Improve the quality and timeliness of business decisions.
Bank more dollars from each sale.
Enjoy your business more through fun retail engagement.

newsXpress is a newsagency marketing group which helps newsagents and those buying a newsagency to achieve these valuable goals. The ultimate goal is to make your business more valuable on a day to day basis and through this to help you maximise your opportunities when you decide to sell.

Newsagent conference attracts 118 newsagents

The travelling one-day national newsagent conference hosted by newsXpress earlier this month attracted in excess over 100 newsagents across several locations.

The feedback from attendees on content, supplier deals and networking with others has been excellent.

The overwhelming feedback from those attending was that they prefer this type of one-day event closer to their home location than a longer national event which requires considerably more time out of the business.

We hope to have an announcement later this week for those unable to attend the one-day conference.

The best newsagent conference in 2010

If you are buying a newsagency or have an existing newsagency you want to run better then the newsXpress one day conference is an excellent opportunity to connect with proactive newsagents and helpful suppliers.

In an outcome-focused agenda you will find many practical ideas you can implement without additional cost you can use to extract more revenue from each customer contact. Here is the agenda:

09.15am – Suppliers on site with great Back to School and exclusive deals – we recommend all stores arrive early and use this time to engage with the suppliers and take advantage of the HOT OFFERS
10:00am – Open and Introduction by Graham Randall
10:05am – Mark Fletcher – How to avoid calling the police to your store
10:10am – Mark Fletcher – An OCD Diagnosis is not all bad news
10:45am – Ron Thorpe – Taking Ownership of the Greeting Card Category & making more money
11:15am – Morning tea – SUPPLIER INTERACTION OPPORTUNITY
11:30am – Graham Randall – Buying and Selling a newsagency – The facts, the myths and the figures
12:00pm – My Stories – selected newsXpress members share their stories on what makes their store profitable
12:30pm – Ben Kay – Stalking Goliath – techniques for competing with the big end of town
13:00pm – Lunch & Networking – SUPPLIER INTERACTION OPPORTUNITY
14:00pm – Jason Skodt – How to make money from the phone card category – Tips and practical advice on making this category more profitable
14:30pm – Open Forum
15:00pm – newsXpress Members only meeting – 60 minutes
16:00pm – Close of day

This is the newsagent conference that comes to you with dates in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Perth starting later this week.

Click here for a one page brochure and registration form. Click here to book online. Participation costs just $50 and includes lunch and breaks.

newsXpress announces newsagent conference

newsXpress is proud to announce the conference which comes to newsagents. Next month in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Perth. Delivering high quality valuable content from six speakers over six power packed hours, this is the practical conference newsagents will want to be at. Click here for a brochure.

This one day conference will also include access to several key suppliers who will offer excellent value deals for participants. Participation in the conference is open to all newsagents.

First round of 2010 member meetings announced

newsXpress yesterday announced dates for the first round of member meetings for 2010.

NSW Members Meeting : Tuesday February 16th 10am
VIC Members Meeting : Thursday February 18th 10am
QLD Members Meeting : Tuesday February 23rd 10am
WA Members Meeting : Thursday February 25th 10am

Bookings can be made electronically via our website: go to Contact Us and select Member Meetings. In addition to booking electronically, you can also add a reminder to your Microsoft Outlook calendar.

Non newsXpress members are welcome to seek an invitation. Please make contact with Ben Kay, our General Manager.

newsXpress Singleton Heights’ award honoured

The Singleton Argus has a good story in the latest issue about newsXpress Singleton Heights being announced co-winner of the newsXpress Retailer of the Year Award at our National Conference in Melbourne last month. In the article, Jarryd Moore, co-manager of the business, credited the team and explains what drives them evolve the business:

Our staff have been keeping up with the trends and without their willingness to embrace the new things we take on board, we could not deliver such a terrific customer service.

With such a large number of competitors, and not just newsagencies but other stationary suppliers, we have to maintain good prices and cater for everyone.

It’s about changing things up, introducing new things and trying things even if they sound a bit out there to begin with.

newsXpress presents many opportunities for members to drive better traffic and better margin in their businesses. Those who embrace these opportunities are doing very well in building healthier businesses. They show the newsXpress difference at work.

Photo credit: The Singleton Argus

Helping with buying a newsagency

newsXpress is helping several newsagency channel newcomers with buying a newsagency. Our help is in the form of providing background information on newsagencies, what to look for in buying a newsagency, key supplier contacts and access to resources to make taking over the business easier.

Thanks to a broad range of skills within our newsXpress team ranging from advice on shop leases, business management, structure and buying, we are able to help prospective newsagents make decisions which can save time and money on their entry to this channel.

Buying a newsagency for someone new to the business can be daunting. The help from newsXpress can make that easier. The best contact within newsXpress is you are looking to buy a newsagency is one of our Directors, Graham Randall (0419 711 153) or Mark Fletcher (0418 321 338).

The help we provide shows the newsXpress difference at work. It shows the value of a full service newsagency marketing and management support group – over a buying group.

A brighter future for newsagents

newsXpress is hosting a conference for all newsagents in Melbourne in October. We are bringing in WORLD CLASS SPEAKERS who will present newsagents attending with practical immediate-benefit ideas as well as strategic, longer-term benefit, ideas. There wiill be PRACTICAL WORKSHOPS and many opportunities for BRILLIANT NETWORKING.

The conference agenda pays particular attention to helping newsagents navigate to a bright future out of the considerable change we see today. Speakers have been carefully selected to present opportunities which speak to newasgents.

Newsagents wanting to grow their businesses, network with proactive colleagues and connect with retail visionaries should consider attending this conference in Melbourne. Click here for a copy of the promotional fax we are sending today.

Women’s Health Woman Newsagent of the Year

Pictured are, from left, Jane McIllhatton, National Merchandising manager for Pacific Magazines, Debra Wachorn of newsXpress Leongatha and Felicity Percival, editor of Women’s Health magazine at the dinner last night in Sydney where Debra was announced Woman Newsagent of the Year.

Debra has every reason to look proud and happy at winning this award. The business in which she is a partner is a credit to everyone involved. That Debra balances her involvement with a busy family life is a credit to her.

This is the second year in a row that a newsXpress member has won this prestigious award.

Congratulations on Woman Newsagent of the Year

Congratulations to Debra Wachorn from newsXpress Leongatha on being named the Woman’s Health Woman Newsagent of the Year at the National Awards tonight at the Marriott Hotel in Sydney. This award us recognition for the key role Debra plays as a partner in the vibrant and community-connected newsXpress Leongatha business.

The 2009 Women’s Health Woman Newsagent of the Year Award aims to:

promote awareness of the extraordinary contribution women make to the newsagency industry;
acknowledge the exceptional performance by female newsagency owners and managers; and
reward the efforts required to maintain the balance between business, personal and community success.

Developing newsagency management skills

newsXpress has brought its Business Development Manager team together in Queensland this week for a two day workshop. Part of yesterday’s agenda was to visit a newsXpress store and discuss practical issues and opportunities in the context of the newsXpress offer. With six full-time Business Development Managers on the road and working exclusively on behalf of newsXpress members, workshops such as this are crucial to team development and consistency.

newsXpress is the only newsagency marketing and support group to offer regular in-store visits as part of the regular monthly member fee from what we are told. The visits focus on helping the business owners and employees drive better commercial outcomes from their businesses and to derive greater enjoyment along the way.

Excellent supplier support for newsagent market fairs

newsXpress has announced the long list of suppliers participating in the newsXpress newsagent Market Fairs which start this week. We have had to move location in one state because we could not accommodate the suppliers keen to be part of this important annual event.

A newsXpress exclusive, the Market Fairs provide an excellent opportunity for newsXpress members and suppliers to discuss exclusive and valuable deals, many of which are only available at the Market Fairs.

The breadth of range of products and the excellent value deals demonstrate another benefit of newsXpress membership. We are helping members expand their ranges and to do so in a smart and financially rewarding way.

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

The Market Fairs which start this week are proof of our commitment to pursuing this mission and helping our members across all categories of their businesses.

Our first Market Fair is Thursday June 11 in Melbourne. 42 newsagency suppliers are participating.

newsXpress Market Fair dates

Next month, newsXpress is hosting Market Fairs around the counter where our members get access to great specials from newsXpress preferred suppliers, receive briefings on a small selection of products and discuss new strategies and opportunities exclusive to newsXpress. These business building sessions are open to newsXpress mebers. Here are the details:

Melbourne 11 Jun 2009, 09:30AM, Flemington The Event Centre – Panorama Room 448 Epsom Road, Flemington

Perth 16 Jun 2009, 09:30AM, Citigate Perth Hotel, 707 Wellington Street, Perth

Sydney 18 Jun 2009, 09:30AM, The Lakes Golf Club, Cnr King Street and Vernon Avenue, Eastlakes

Brisbane 23 Jun 2009, 09:30AM, Brisbane Technology Park, 1 Clunies Ross Court, Eight Mile Plains

Bookings are available online at our website. Access is free but bookings are essential.

Happy Mother’s Day

Happy Mother’s Day to all mums, especially newsagent family mums … mums who own, manage or work in newsagencies. You all play an important role in our businesses, not just newsXpress businesses but all newsagencies, as you do in the role at home to family. Like the family role, we often neglect to take the time to say, thanks mum – to our mums who own, manage and work in our businesses.

Thanks Mums!

Nia Kugel of newsXpress Lowwood reminded us of the important role mums and women play in newsagencies recently, speaking at our Brisbane member’s meeting. Nia spoke from the heart about what being a newsagent and mum and wife means to her. It was a reminder of the place of family, and mums, in our businesses. Nia won Woman Newsagent of the Year last year. This award is sponsored by Pacific Magazines and is an important award for women newsagents, and mums, to consider entering.

Mother’s Day is a good time to remind you of the award. If you are a woman newsagent, consider entering. Click here for the Woman Newsagent of the Year entry form. It is open to all newsagents, not just newsXpress members. We are proud to support this award.

Online survey for newsXpress members

Today, newsXpress is launching the first online newsXpress exclusive and member-only online survey. By using smart web 2.0 tools we are able to gather crucial survey data from our members and have the results collated automatically aand available to guide our decision making and the decision making of our members.

This online, time-efficient, survey is another way newsXpress is embracing web tools to help us help our members make better quality business decisions.