newsXpress Conference redefines the newsagency marketing group offer for 2012

The newsXpress national conference in Melbourne yesterday saw close to 200 people fill the conference centre for a day of fast-paced, valuable and commercially confidential sessions. Unlocking deals and opportunities for newsXpress members, the conference has kicked off 2012 in a proactive and positive way.

Based on newsagency conferences over the years, we expect this to be the biggest newsagency conference, except maybe outside the ACP Connections conference, the channel will see in 2012.

newsXpress members loved the event, staying right through to the close at 5:30pm.

Suppliers loved the event and the face to face time they had with newsXpress members.

Elliot Goblet was a wonderful, engaged, savvy MC. He made the day more fun and helped us laugh at ourselves.

newsXpress shared its vision for 2012 and beyond, suppliers enhanced this with their vision for working with newsXpress members in 2012 and beyond. In our closed member-only session we shared data which changed the way newsXpress members see the success they can achieve.

The long full day even was capped off with a wonderful evening of wonderful five-star food and drinks on the 89th floor of the Eureka Tower. Some conference attended also got to spend time on the observation desk, looking through a glass floor over Melbourne.

It is difficult to put into words what the conference and the pre-conference buying day at the Toy Fair has meant for participating newsXpress members. While it was a commercial, social and personal success, what the 200 or so attendees take back to their businesses will be seen in business results this year and beyond.

We are all excited for 2012 and beyond and what we will achieve together.

newsXpress members embrace Toy Fair opportunity

newsXpress is hosting a guided tour of the Melbourne Toy Fair later this week. Meeting with selected Toy manufacturers and wholesalers, newsXpress members will get to see new products and access special offers as a valuable and appreciated entry to the growing, for newsXpress stores, toy space.

Running the day prior to our national conference, the guided Toy Fair visit is another way newsXpress is adding value to newsXpress member businesses, guiding ranging decisions and unlocking excellent deals.

Our approach to Toy Fair is an excellent example of newsXpress demonstrating the importance of brand and the value of the group working together.

newsXpress members loving the Sydney gift fair opportunity

newsXpress members attending the Sydney Gift Fair over the last few days have benefited from newsXpress assistance with supplier connection. We hosted a drinks evening and caught up with members through the days. Connecting exclusively with our members in a co-ordinated approach has produced better outcomes for our members.

Beanie Kids Easter promotion at newsXpress Ballarat

newsXpress Ballarat has the newsXpress Beanie Kids Easter promotion setup in-store and facing shoppers as they enter the newsagency.

Being promoted nationally across all newsXpress stores, the Easter Beanie Kid products are sure to be a sell out hit … just like the Christmas Beanie Kid packs sold out across our retail network.

newsXpress supports respected and well-known brands like Beanie Kids because brands drive traffic and sales. As a national brand ourselves we understand the importance and value of brands.

While cheap China product can sometimes carry a better margin, shoppers are less likely to remember where they purchased a product on price compared to where they purchased a brand they know and love. Anyone can differentiate on price. few can differentiate around respected brands … like Beanie Kids.

Virgin Mobile Broadband promotion at East Maitland

newsXpress East Maitland is another of the newsXpress locations which has been promoting the Virgin Mobile Broadband offer in-store diving sales of Virgin Mobile products and providing shoppers an opportunity to win one of two scooters valued at over $2,000 in a newsXpress exclusive in-store promotion.

We are thrilled to bring such exciting retail competitions and margin boosting opportunities to newsXpress members.

Promoting Better Homes and Gardens at newsXpress Bairnsdale

newsXpress Bairnsdale has been promoting Better Homes and Gardens magazine with this excellent high-impac in-location display in-store.  It’s bold, attention-grabbing and successful. Having been up since the launch of the magazine it is the type of display which accounts for excellent success for Better Homes and Gardens at newsXpress Bairnsdale in country Victoria.

Better Homes and Gardens is from pacific magazines a strategic partner of newsXpress.  We have only two strategic partnersHallmark Cards and Pacific Magazines.

Thanks to Pacific Magazines, newsXpress members have access to floor stock to enable us to get replenishment stock while other retailers sell out. This helps us achieve our fullest sales potential.

Displays like this one at newsXpress Bairnsdale for a key Pacific Magazines title is part of our commitment to support their titles. The reward is wonderful sales growth.

Virgin Mobile Broadband promotion at Wollongbar

newsXpress Wollongbar has been promoting Virgin Mobile Broadband at the entrance to the newsagency, right at the sales counter.  The Virgin Mobile offer is one which has been running right across the newsXpress network as part of a commitment around mobile recharge margin.  This simple tactical placement is all about driving brand awareness and leveraging impulse purchases of the Virgin Mobile Broadband offer.

Introducing gifts at newsXpress Rutherglen

newsXpress Rutherglen slightly trimmed display space allocated to magazines and introduced an expansion to the gift offer in-store – as shown in the photo.

The change at newsXpress Ruthergen was completed as part of magazine range review and the result, thanks to a small shop fitting change is this selection of homewares gifts next to magazines.

While we understand and respect magazines and their very important place in the product mix in a vibrant and growing newsXpress store, occasionally, thanks to a data based range review, we are able to unlock space for more product, This is what has been done at newsXpress Rutherglen – creating a win win … magazine sales growth and gift sales growth.

The move at newsXpress Rutherglen was achieved with a very small capital investment for a good commercial outcome.  This is excellent for the business and for the newsXpress preferred suppliers who now have better representation in the business.

retail today is all about serving the customer. This requires data based business decisions tweaking and finessing your business to serve your customers. This is exactly what is being done at newsXpress Rutherglen.

newsXpress Grovedale display wins award

Congratulations to newsXpress Grovedale for winning an award from ACP magazines for this display for Wheels magazine.

We love this display as it brings to life the magazine it is promoting in a way which will connect with the target purchaser of the title … perfect for visual merchandising.

newsXpress believes in magazines and feels that they play an important role in traffic generation and basked building in newsXpress newsagency businesses across Australia.

Congratulations to everyone at newsXpress Grovedale who made this display happen … it’s excellent!

Promoting Beanie Kids at newsXpress Parkmore

newsXpress Parkmore at Parkmore Shopping Centre in Victoria is promoting Beanie Kids with this excellent in-store display printing the range.

Available from one of our preferred suppliers, the beanie Kid range is developing as a terrific newsXpress success story, delivering excellent traffic growth and basked building sales for each business in which the opportunity is installed.

newsXpress Parkmore is providing excellent space and great customer service for the beanie Kid range.  This is another example of smart engagement around a trusted brand … a great way to grow retail sales on today’s marketplace.

newsXpress national conference brimming to capacity

With more than one hundred newsXpress newsagencies booked for our national conference in Melbourne next month there is no doubt that it will be the biggest newsagent conference event outside of the ACP Connections conference held last year in Sydney.

We are thrilled with the member support of the conference and the EXCLUSIVE Toy Fair buying events being held the day before the conference.  Tapping into commercially valuable and exclusive buying opportunities at Toy Fair will help newsXpress members to broader their product mix, network and learn from experts about success with toys.

The conference, pre-conference buying day and Eureka Tower Cocktail Party will provide us with an excellent focus for success in 2012 and beyond.  The agenda provides for some value-packed announcements for newsXpress members.

New members for newsXpress

newsXpress will be announcing details of several news members at its conference next month in Melbourne.  The latest new member acquisitions are in New South Wales and Queensland and are as a result of our rigorous member vetting process which looks for proactive newsagents committed to growing their businesses with newsXpress.

The new members are signed up and ready to roll from the start of March.

In addition to looking for members who want to engage with our strategies and programs, we look for members who can add to the body of the group. We know that growth is a collective and mutually respectful experience.

My Family sticker success rolls on for newsXpress stores

newsXpress members continue to enjoy excellent sales success with the My family stickers from The Sticker Family.  The photo shows a family making their purchase selections at one of our member stores just a couple of days ago.  Parents, grandparents and extended families are identifying their family units with the fun stickers on the rear windows of cars, windows at home and on fridges with the wonderful range of fridge magnets.

Key to the success of the My Family stickers is the placement of the pull up banner at the front of the newsagency. Every day it draws shoppers to the business and they purchase not only My Family stickers but also other items in-store.

The Sticker Family range is a tremendous success story for newsXpress, a success story which is loved by customers and newsXpress members alike.

The latest sales data shows that there is tremendous success sill to be had from the My Family sticker range.

Promoting Coke and a magazine

Several newsXpress member newsagencies are running a Coke and a magazine campaign thanks to the wonderful assistance of the marketing team at newsXpress Strategic Partner Pacific Magazines.

The very special Coke and a Pacific magazine offer – New Idea, Who, That’s Life and Famous – is designed as a basket builder and a value reinforcer at the sales counter.

Supported with professional marketing collateral, the offer is a key value-add pitch at the counter of participating newsXpress locations.

This is the first step in an exciting new Coke relationship for newsXpress members … watch this space more deals and offers as they come down the line and onto newsXpress sales counters.

newsXpress will make the most of Whitney Houston special issues

Who magazine out tomorrow is a special Whitney Houston tribute issue.  newsXpress members are receiving bonus collateral as well as access to extra floor stock to enable them reaching their full sales potential. these EXCLUSIVE benefits are part of the newsXpress / Pacific Magazines strategic partnership.  Who magazine sales should be through the roof with this issue.

Woman’s Day is also coming out with a Whitney Houston special issue. This will be out tomorrow for many newsXpress stores rather than the usual Monday on-sale.  details on this were communicated to members in our weekly email communication yesterday.

newsXpress first with news of Whitney Houston’s death

newsXpress Radio shared the news of Whitney Houston’s passing just a few minutes after it was first exported our of the US. Our network of stores was first with the news for many shoppers in-store with us at the time.

Click here to hear how the death of Whitney Houston was announced in-store on our live in-store radio network. People will remember where they were when they head the news of Whitney’s death and it’s good to demonstrate our relevance as a news source – thanks to the live in-store newsXpress radio operation.

Elliot Goblet confirmed for newsXpress conference

newsXpress is bringing in business conference MC expert and comedian Elliot Goblet to host our national conference next month in Melbourne.  The award-winning Goblet is already studying up on newsXpress to help make the day unique as well as fun, to ensure that we offer not only a memorable experience but one which is truly valuable to the newsXpress members and supplier who share the event.

As anyone who has attended a business conference hosted by Goblet will know, he strikes the right chord between entertainment and business and keeps the day moving at a good pace.

Places filling fast for newsXpress conference

With just one month until the newsXpress national conference in Melbourne places are filling fast.  The agenda is out and attracting more member interest as is the level of support from suppliers which is enabling newsXpress to contribute toward travel costs of members attending the conference.

With Eliot Goblett as MC for the day, an excellent line up of speakers, enticing suppliers offers and an evening event planned for high above melbourne, the conference is set to be not only valuable form a business perspective but also personally memorable.

Only newsXpress members and preferred suppliers have access to this event.

newsXpress stores promoting Virgin Mobile

newsXpress stores across Australia are promoting Virgin Mobile handsets, SIM packs and recharge with this promotional display unit strategically placed in a high traffic location.

organised through newsXpress preferred supplier Jenlist, the Virgin Mobile promotion is exclusive to newsXpress.  On offer to shoppers is a chance to win one of three Torino Motor Scooters valued at $2400.00 each.  This is exclusive to newsXpress.

By placing the display unit in a good location and engaging with shoppers, newsXpress stores can drive sales of handsets and SIM packs and drive recharge business.