Category: newsagency marketing

Record sign up for HOT ink!

We have achieved record numbers of newsXpress members signing up to participate in our next HOT ink! ink and toner promotions which commences shortly.  This will see the HOT ink! brand promoted in letterboxes across the country and in a number of other creative and exclusive ways to drive traffic and drive sales in newsXpress locations.

Our next HOT Ink! promotion will demonstrate to newsXpress members and others who look at our businesses the newsXpress commitment to brand development and the importance of innovation in a highly competitive marketpkace.

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.

Promoting Halloween in newsagencies

halloween_09.jpgnewsXpress this week sent out a range of offers for Halloween 2009.

Designed to create a fun shopping environment and drive good sales, the products include fun Halloween party items through to higher end Halloween gifts.

By pitching the various product offers to our members now, in May, we are providing plenty of time for planning in-store theatre and local events around this growing season.

In our recent round of member meetings we shared details of the commercial value of Halloween 2008.  2009 will be even better for newsXpress members who embrace this optional marketing opportunity.

newsXpress exclusive $20 million superdraw syndicates

nx_superdraw.jpgQueensland newsXpress members are working together in promoting two syndicates for the $20 million superdraw in Saturday May 16.  One syndicate offers a share in a System 20 ticket while the other offers a share in each of four system tickets.  These two syndicates are being sold only in participating newsXpress locations.  This is an excellent opportunity for newsXpress members to sell high value tickets without the risk of needing to completely fill a syndicate alone.

Win a Sony Cyber Shot Digital Camera

hallmark_camera.jpgBuy Hallmark Mother’s Day card from a newsXpress newsagency and you could win a Sony Cyber Shot Digital Camera. You Hallmark Mother’s Day card purchase also supports breast cancer research thanks to Hallmark’s financial support of the National Breast Cancer Foundation.  newsXpress members are proudly supporting the work of the NBCF by proactively promoting their pink ribbon campaign this Mother’s Day.

Available in-store 20th April – 10th May 2009, this promotion is an excellent local marketing initiative from the newsXpress / Hallmark Cards relationship. Each participating newsXpress store has been given a Sony digital camera valued at $229 to give away to one lucky customer.

The total value of the giveaway across the newsXpress group is in excess of $40,000.  This could be the most valuable Mother’s Day giveaway in the newsagency channel this year.

newsXpress funds member participation in this digital camera promotion.  Our newsXpress members have no additional cost, no marketing levy.

The Promoter is Hallmark Cards Australia Limited of 10 Caribbean Drive, Scoresby VIC, 3179. ABN 85 004 058 646.

NSW Permit No: LTPS/09/002604, ACT Permit No: TP 09/001062, SA Permit No:T09/657,

LTPS/09/002604 TP 09/001062T09/657,

Conference bookings now open

newsxpress_website.jpgClick on the conference link, on the left side of the home page of the newsXpress website, and you can pre register for our 2009 National Newsagent Conference. This is one of the many interactive facilities available at the newsXpress website for consumers, newsagents and newsagent suppliers.

Through the website, newsXpress is demonstrating how to use online technology to cultivate new business and make existing business more efficient. Our view was that it was important we lead by example.

newsXpress newsagencies are leaders in their own communities and newsXpress is a leader among newsagency marketing and franchise groups.  While anyone can claim this, it has been important to us to demonstrate this.  Our new website is one way.  Our conference is another.  By introducing a direct link on our website to that of our conference organiser we are able to help prospective attendees register interest without time consuming paperwork and mailing.

Mutual trust with newsagents

newsXpress does not believe in locking in members to long term contracts.  This is why our members may leave at 30 days notice.  We would rather newsagents stay with newsXpress because they want to and not because of an onerous contract.  That we have grown five times our size in the four years since 2005 indicates we are doing something right.

We have seen situations where newsagents have been refused the right to leave a marketing / franchise group and have had to involve lawyers – with little success.  No one wins from such a handcuff approach.

We prefer a friendlier and mutually supportive and trusting relationship.  This is why newsXpress is committed to a 30 day notice period.  It respects our member newsagents and keeps our mind focused on serving our members and not enforcing a contract.

Perth seminar promoting newsXpress

nx_perth.jpgnewsXpress is hosting a free introductory briefing in Perth for prospective newsXpress members on April 30 at 10am.

Any newsagent interested in achieving more from their business is most welcome to attend.

We will outline exclusive to newsXpress deals, exclusive to newsXpress business marketing initiatives and provide an excellent newsagent networking opportunity.

If you want to grow your newsagency then this session is for you.

Click here to download and print a copy of the flyer promoting this event.

Supplier participation in newsXpress member meetings

We have a range of suppliers joining us for our next round of newsXpress member meetings which start next week.  Senior managemennt representayives from Golden Casket, Intralot, ACP Magazines, Pacific Magazines and several other suppliers will be available to newsXpress members for discussion, feedback and networking.

The meetings will be held in four states:

Brisbane: Tuesday 21st April Brisbane – 10am, Brisbane Technology Park, Conference Centre,1 Clunies Ross Court,Eight Mile Plains QLD

Melbourne: Thursday 23rd April Melbourne – 10am, Malvern Valley Golf & Reception Centre (Arlington), Golfers Drive, Malvern East VIC

Sydney: Tuesday 28th April Sydney – 10am, The Lakes Golf Club, King Street, Eastlakes NSW

Perth: Thursday 30th April Perth – 12pm (Lunch) 1pm (Meeting), Country Comfort Inter City Perth, 249-263 Great Eastern Highway, Belmont WA

Newsagents considering joining a marketing group would be most welcome to book a place and experience the newsXpress difference first-hand.

Not all suppliers will be at each meeting.

newsXpress member meeting agenda

The agenda for our next round of newsXpress newsagent member meetings will include:

  • New special deal product opportunities
  • Local area marketing workshop
  • Merchandise plans for Q3 2009
  • Brand compliance – opportunities
  • Year to date newsXpress group financials
  • An update on our magazine project
  • Member open forum

The meetings will be held in four states:

Brisbane: Tuesday 21st April Brisbane – 10am, Brisbane Technology Park, Conference Centre,1 Clunies Ross Court,Eight Mile Plains QLD

Melbourne: Thursday 23rd April Melbourne – 10am, Malvern Valley Golf & Reception Centre (Arlington), Golfers Drive, Malvern East VIC

Sydney: Tuesday 28th April Sydney – 10am, The Lakes Golf Club, King Street, Eastlakes NSW

Perth: Thursday 30th April Perth – 12pm (Lunch) 1pm (Meeting), Country Comfort Inter City Perth, 249-263 Great Eastern Highway, Belmont WA

Newsagents considering joining a marketing group would be most welcome to book a place and experience the newsXpress difference first-hand.

Stunning Lovatts crossword display

nx_waterg_lovatts.jpgOur talented team at newsXpress Watergardens, our corporate store in Victoria, has created a stunning front-of-store display promoting Lovatts crossword products.

By following a less is more principle, the display stands out to people passing the shop in the mall.  Too often displays at the front of newsagencies are cluttered and project mixed messages.  We have seen customers react by walking to the display and engaging with the Lovatts products on offer.

Part of our visual merchandising strategy is to guide our members to promote ranges which differentiate their businesses from others nearby – especially in the magazine space.  This Lovatts display does exactly that.  The supermarket near us does not have this range.

The key with any investment in real-estate and time is the return – we track this and change our approach as necessary.

Local area marketing workshop this week

newsXpress is hosting another Local area marketing workshop. How to grow your sales using Local Area Marketing will be held Thursday, April 16 at 10.00am EST. Our National Marketing Manager Trent Shields will provide some tools you can take back and use in your store and faacilitate a discussion between participants on local marketing experiences. Each newsXpress member who signs up will receive some pre-reading and instruction of information to bring to the meeting.

This is another free training initiative from newsXpress dexsigned to help our members grow stronger and more successful businesses.

Welcome newsXpress Leongatha!

newsxpress_leongatha.jpgThe team at newsXpress Leongatha put on a great show for their opening this morning.  From the owners, Peter, Debra and Dean through to the retail team, everyone was in uniform and pumped for a great day.  There were showbags packed with goodies for customers, the Hallmark Bear, special deals from Darrell Lea and other suppliers, a sausage sizzle and plenty of smiles.

The shop itself felt great and looked a treat from an excellent range of cards to one of the best ranges of stationery you could find in a newsagency to a full book department to a broad range of magazines – newsXpress Leongatha is an excellent business.

Everyone at newsXpress welcomes newsXpress Leongatha to the family.

newsXpress launches 2009 national newsagent conference

newsXpress is proud to announce pre registration details for our national confercen for 2009. We are planning an exciting agenda packed with valuable learning and networking opportunities for newsagents and their staff from newsagencies of all size.

nx_conference.jpg

Watch for the pre registration link at our website.

Christmas shopping in April

The newsXpress merchandise team is in the middle of reviewing new products from existing and potential preferred suppliers for the 2009 Christmas season.  This annual process is exciting and challenging because we get to see many new products from which to build our recommended core range for the season.  While some products were on show at recent gift fairs, most are available only for private viewings such as those our team has been invited to.

newsXpress Leongatha opens this Saturday

newsXpress Leongatha opens this Saturday, April 11. Located at 30 Bair St, Leongatha.  Peter, Debra and the team are putting on a great day of fun and offers as they bring the newsXpress brand to this beautiful part of Gippsland.  There will be prizes, specials and a sausage sizzle for the local CFA.  If you find yourself in Gippsland on Saturday, drop in and say g’day and meet some happy newsXpressers.