Category: newsagency marketing

HOT ink! gets HOT results!

The following testimony is from Paul Martin at newsXpress Toowong in Brisbane.

imgp1215.JPG

Hot Ink catalogue #1 gave Paul from newsXpress Toowong the lever he needed to enter the Ink market with compelling strategies of best cost price and selling price, a professional flyer, great service and back up, and the knowledge of which product to stock. Having just ordered his 5th consecutive flyer he commented that You have to be patient the first time, but then results compound, he has seen a 30% growth each catalogue. Getting the message through to customers and watching sales expand has been great, – “My team hand deliver catalogues to our local businesses around the Village twice during each campaign and this has great results”. “Once customers know the prices are so good, they have confidence that my other stationery product is also well priced, and so sales become linked as customers buy other stationery product in the same purchase. Why give your customers an excuse to shop elsewhere, once they can buy ink from you, they buy their other product as well”.

newsXpress Gympie and Steve Irwin’s Wildlife Warriors

Warrick Hosking at newsXpress Gympie is passionate about everything in his business. Last year when it was encouraged to charge retail customers 10c per plastic bag and to donate the money to a charity Warrick showed no hesitation in running this program and advertising his support for the Wildlife Warriors.

The Wildlife Warriors continue the great work of their founder Steve Irwin in pursuing conservation projects from their base at Australia Zoo.

Warrick and his team raised the princely sum of $611.95 last year and the photos below show the presentation of the cheque at Australia Zoo.

We strongly encourage newsXpress members to decrease their plastic bag usage and to support worthwhile local charitable organisations to better connect within their community.

dsc_3175.JPG

Warrick has also arranged four separate collection boxes for his shop with co-branding of newsXpress to feature alongside the Wildlife Warriors logo.

Melbourne Member’s Meeting

As written earlier in the blog, newsXpress hold regular member meetings in each state every two months. Late last year they initiated a regional meeting program to ensure the opportunity to attend and contribute to the network was maximised among its member group.

On the 22nd February at the VANA office in Fitzroy, over 20 newsagents from Victoria and South Australia participated in a lively discussion about issues affecting their everyday operation. With topics ranging from Stationery strategies, through the newsXpress sub-brand HOT ink! www.hotink.com.au and onto the newsXpress obsession with magazines the debate was passionate and healthy. A number of attendees commented about how much information they are able to take back to their team from these meetings.

vic-members-meeting-220108-001.jpg

The next meeting for members from Victoria and South Australia is planned for the 4th of March.

NSW/ACT goes ‘Back to School’ at newsXpress

With a strong newsXpress member base now pushing 30 in NSW and the ACT any large scale promotion is beginning to make an impression in Australia’s largest market.

Back to School is being promoted with great intensity by major retailers such as Big W, Officeworks, even Woolworths and The Good Guys. Small businesses such as newsagents have a magnificent opportunity to compete by utilising the expansive media campaigns and delivering exceptional service, convenience and competitive prices.

The NSW/ACT members have participated in two BTS themed catalogues during this period and called on their vast experience to deliver some outstanding results. See below for the unique successes and strategies used by individual stores.

nxp-014.jpg nxp.jpg

Above Left: newsXpress Woden presented a wide range of notebooks in different colours, sizes and price to satisfy even the most discerning customer.
Above Right: newsXpress Bondi Eastgate took the opportunity of breaching the lease line to stock a well presented trestle table with low price high turnover lines. This acted as a beacon to attract customers to the store.

nxp-007.jpg nxp-041.jpg

Above Left: newsXpress Castle Towers create a massive out post each season filling the are with great product and low prices. They also have a personalised newsXpress Castle Towers BTS banner made up for further visibility
Above Right: newsXpress Goulburn have had an all encompassing pen stand specially commissioned and it is central to their BTS efforts. Containing every pen type studious types would ever need and great signage.

scotts-lisomore-bts-ad-jan08.jpg nxp-031.jpg

Above Left: newsXpress Scott’s Lismore have celebrated their name change with a renewed vigour in becoming the leading newsagent in town. This compelling newspaper ad is part of a strategy they feel will grow their business results to meet their output.
Above Right: newsXpress Shellharbour City clearly advertise their intentions to customers and passers-by with this visually inviting signage consisting of newsXpress seasonal posters and the actual pages of the BTS catalogue.

fiery2210.jpg nxp-004.jpg

Above Left: newsXpress Orange depict a busy scene with customers busily selecting product to purchase and team members tidying and refilling the large BTS display at the front of the store.
Above Right: newsXpress Jamison transform the front desk into a BTS destination with signage and product in an easily accessible location.

carrs-armidale-vd-jan08.jpg nxp-007.jpg

Above Left: newsXpress Carr’s Armidale compliment their Hallmark Alliance Marketing materials with the newsXpress posters (seen around the pillars). The effect is to draw the customer’s attention to the cleverly conceived display stand housing seasonal cards and add-ons including gift bags and wrap.
Above Right: newsXpress Macarthur is right into ‘Back to School’, already this year they are 100% up compared to last year. Notice the great location for their outpost? their neighbours are Best & Less and Lowes, which means their customers can purchase all their needs at one location.

Back to School branding at newsXpress Sarina

Mark & Shelley Petersen at newsXpress Sarina are always looking for new ways to market their business and has stumbled across a winner this BTS season.

Mark sourced the pictured BTS box from overseas and in conjunction with a couple of fellow newsXpress members imported a large quantity into Australia.

img_1670.JPG

newsXpress Sarina team members with the BTS boxes

The box itself is 430 x 305 x 250 (LxWxH) and is the perfect size to fill BTS book orders. The proactive members are constantly searching for new and improved methods to sell their business to a new customer base and this box which features the store name and logo on all four sides is one of the better ones.

img_1671.JPG

newsXpress Sarina team member Felicity gives her approval!

NSW/ACT Member Meeting

newsXpress hold regular member meetings in each state every two months. Late last year they initiated a regional meeting program to ensure the opportunity to attend and contribute to the network was maximised among its member group.

Early 2008 saw the first such meeting held in the ACT with Dominic De Marco and his team at newsXpress Jamison hosting the meeting and then resigning later in the evening to dinner.

Among the topics covered in the relatively open forum were:

  • Stationery strategies
  • HOT ink! Flyer #5 www.hotink.com.au
  • The newsXpress exclusive Canson Creative Centre and other art opportunities
  • Giftlines and recent experiences
  • The newsXpress obsession with magazines &
  • Valentine’s Day
  • 20080116_0131.jpg

newsXpress Dapto reaping the benefits

Danny & Milicia owners of newsXpress Dapto typify what newsXpress looks for in its newsagents.

nxp-oct-9-2007-003.jpg

They are new to the industry coming from a card and gift background. What they have done is taken the newsXpress IP and run with it. They participate in every newsXpress promotion and but doing this give newsXpress so much in return. They are card and gift specialists who have become stellar newsagents by listening, watching learning and by applying the newsXpress IP to drive great sales in their newsXpress store.

They are not held back by the past, instead they embrace the future. They have been retailers for over 17 years now, by taking their experience and combining it with the newsXpress solution they are beginning to typify the newsXpress newsagent who is now a progressive retailer embarking on the future and taking on the competition and winning.

Luck’s a fortune at newsXpress

Never has a statement been proven true more often than in 2007, culminating with the Superdraw to end the year as customers from newsXpress Robina & newsXpress Windsor became instant millionaires.

newsxpress-robina-1st-div-winner-jan08.jpg

Pictured are: Tony, Anastasia, Jayde, and Chris (newsXpress Robina)

The transition into 2008 has so far been just as prolific with the following stores all reporting big wins in the opening two weeks:

  • newsXpress Chippandall’s – $14, 055.65 in the 2nd of January Wednesday Gold Lotto draw;
  • newsXpress Dapto – $300,000 in the January 7th NSW Lotteries Draw;
  • newsXpress Nambour & newsXpress Pacific Pines – $72,598.50 in the January 10th Powerball draw; &
  • newsXpress Ashmore – $79,321.05 in the January 17th Powerball draw.

nxp-001.jpg

Pictured: Danny & Milicia – newsXpress Dapto have a history of selling first prizes in lotteries and Lotto, see the plaques in the background.

newsXpress Salamander Bay ‘Gala Opening’

newsXpress Salamander Bay opened amid a flurry of fanfare on Halloween 2007. Fortunately the excitement and all of the fabulous preparation and execution by Fiona & Adrian Matthews and their team was captured on film and we are proud to now be able to share the video thanks to the newsXpress Blog and Youtube.

newsXpress Salamander Bay ‘Gala Opening’

Since Salamander Bay have joined the team at newsXpress they have experienced an amazing sales increase by participating in exclusive promotions. HOT ink! saw an increase of 554% in volume and 361% (year on year Oct 06 vs Oct 07), an unexpected benefit of this was a flow on effect in other departments with Computer Accessories up 442% and Computer Labels up 106%.

Hot Stationery Deals also delivered an impressive 18% increase across the entire stationery department and even Halloween returned a profit!

Ho Ho Ho lives on at Wauchope

wauchope.JPGThe team at newsXpress Wauchope embraced Christmas and dismissed the ho ho ho political correctness.

Christmas is a traditional season at newsXpress and Sandi Burke and her team from newsXpress are living proof that the tradition of Santa and HO HO HO lives on. They had fun. Their customers had fun the spirit of Christmas is as strong as ever.

At newsXpress, as well as helping our members grow their businesses, we help them enjoy themselves more.

newsXpress Facebook group

People who work in newsXpress outlets can join a Facebook group and thereby connect with another common interest. Our goal is to connect everyone working in newsXpress outlets across Australia using Facebook.

Helping newsagents

newsXpress hosts regular meetings to provide support services, motivation and other help to newsagents. The group is hosting a series of cluster meetings in Queensland next week:

Date: TUESDAY 13TH NOVEMBER, 2007
Venue: Paradise Point Bowls Club
Time: 2pm – approx. 4:30pm

Date: TUESDAY 13TH NOVEMBER, 2007
Venue: Stationer’s Supply Brisbane
Time: 10am – approx. 1-2pm

Date: TUESDAY 13TH NOVEMBER, 2007
SUNSHINE COAST / CENTRAL QLD
Date: THURSDAY 15TH NOVEMBER, 2007
Venue: Mooloolaba Bowls Club (confirmed)
Time: 10am – approx. 1-2pm

Non members are welcome to attend and experience the newsXpress difference. Please email for a booking.

Member meetings in Queensland

Newsagents love to network – socially and to talk business. newsXpress facilitates this interest with regular member meetings in all capital cities as well as cluster meetings in regional centres. This past week we have hosted cluster meetings in Queensland.

Members met in Mackay and talked through common business issues as well as business development strategies on offer through newsXpress. These sessions are important in sharing the newsXpress culture and motivating our members to continue to lead the newsagent pack. We know that success begins with a healthy business attitude.

newsXpress newsagencies among the best

Congratulations to Forest Hill, Sugarland, Garden City, Indooroopilly, Castle Towers, Robina, and Nambour Plaza who, in that order, are the top performing newsXpress outlets for Lovatts titles. Well done to the all team members in these stores who have contributed to such an exceptional result for the stores and for our group as a whole. You’ve done the newsXpress brand proud!

What is even better is that newsXpress accounted for seven of the top sixteen newsagency outlets for Lovatts product. Newspower had five, Nextra three and one was unaligned to a marketing group.

Magazines continue to be a key point of difference for newsagencies. The newsXpress commitment to the category through Beacon Branding, the Magazine Club Card, our co-location strategy, header cards and our soon to be released Just Out bookmark provide our locations with multiple point of difference which, when pursued relentlessly, will drive sales and deliver personal and group wide success.