newsXpress releases Conference DVDs

In another first, newsXpress has produced a DVD of highlights from this year’s National Newsagent Conference featuring nine of the key conference sessions.  The DVD is available to newsXpress members only and provides a broader reach of valuable content presented at the conference.

newsXpress has been able to produce the DVD thanks to the help of our Diamond Sponsors: Pacific Magazines, Hallmark Cards and Jenlist.

UHU planogram helps newsXpress stores drive sales

nx_uhu_plan.jpgnewsXpress retailers are benefiting from proactive suppliers investing in the development and deployment of planograms which professionally represent their product.  The photo shows the UHU Glue Centre planogram at newsXpress Riverlink.  UHU has been terrific to work with in finessing the range and developing a planogram which is efficient in space use and proactive in pitching what sells easily in our type of retail situations.

newsXpress is proud to lead on this planogram initiative and thankful to have a great group of suppliers, like UHU, working with our Merchandise team to bring certain success to our retail network.  Planograms are new to newsagencies – they are key to our future success.

newsXpress communication strategy drives sales and margin

communications.jpgnewsXpress Wetherill Park is the latest location to implement the newsXpress exclusive communications products strategy.  This good margin and traffic generating strategy is based around a professional planogram for phone handsets plus better margin mobile recharge and a range of associated products.

We are seeing excellent sales flow from our communications initiative and the work done by our preferred supplier, Jenlist.  The result demonstrates the value of well managed business partnerships.  These are nurtured by our newsXpress merchandise team.

newXpress Eli Waters in the news!

eli_waters.jpgAllan and Stella Wickham of newsXpress Eli Waters made the pages of the Fraser Coast Chronicle  yesterday with news with their win at the newsXpress Awards dinner two weeks ago when they were announced newsXpress Magazine Retailer of the Year for 2009.

This newspaper coverage is excellent promotion of newsXpress Eli Waters, newsXpress and small business success.

We are thrilled to be part of this and congratulate Allan and Stella for their initiative.

A merchandise hit for newsXpress

The newsXpress merchandise team loves the success stories they get from newsXpress members. This just in from Sue Neal at newsXpress Ballarat:

In the first day of selling the Lako Digital Key Rings which are part of the newsXpress Christmas offer, we sold 13 units.  These are a product which we did not expect to work in our location.  We originally said no but finally agreed when our newsXpress Business Development Manager explained how he expected they would work for us.  We sold out of the first shipment and urgently sought more stock. Once the extra stock arrived we quickly sold another ten units.  The runaway success of the key rings is that I need to trust more the newsXpress recommendations.

We are thrilled with stories like this as they reinforce the back office processes which focus on sourcing good-margin products for newsXpress members which will be successful in a variety of situations.

Kris Kringle Gifts at newsXpress

nx_kris_kringle.jpgnewsXpress has provided its members with an excellent range of Kris Kringle gifts for the Christmas season this year.  Our merchandise team has carefully selected items for the Krs Kringle gifting opportunity based on thorough market research and assessing what has sold well in previous years.

The Kris Kringle range is in-store now.

The Kris Kringle range and our Christmas gifts are being promoted through newsXpress exclusive catalogues which are being delivered to homes around participating stores over the next week as well as through marketing collateral like this poster.

newsXpress continuously looks for a valuable and rewarding point of difference for our members.  Our approach to Kris Kringle this year is evidence of this commitment in action.  We are hearing from newsXpress members already about the excellent success they are having with some lines.

Kris Kringle is one element of a broader newsXpress Christmas strategy whicl we will cover here in more detail over the coming weeks.

Halloween shopping at Salamander Bay

nx_salamander.jpgnewsXpress Salamander Bay put on an excellent Halloween show right up to the last minute with an excellent range of costumes, party goods and other items for shoppers wanting to embrace the fun of Halloween this year.

Beyond the good margin Halloween sales opportunity, the display at newsXpress Salamander Bay brought that extra bit of fun into the newsagency and this flows onto sales in other departments.  Retail is theatre after-all.

Halloween fun at newsXpress

nxp-halloween_final.jpgnewsXpress has shown that Scary can be fun with its fresh approach to Halloween this year.  newsXpress stores across Australia have been places of fun and good business over the last few weeks and this past week especially as we drew closer to the big night – TONIGHT! We have made newsXpress stores destination stores for Halloween. Customers love this, newsXpress retail employees love this and newsXpress retailers love this!

Our Halloween strategy has proved again this year to draw new traffic and extend the shopping basket – with good margin product.  This is a great commercial story for newsXpress stores.

Tonight, if you hit the streets for some trick or treat fun or if you head off to a Halloween party, have fun (because Scary can be fun), stay safe and think about newsXpress – we’re your Halloween destination.  Boo!

Brisbane newsXpress members meeting

newsXpress is hosting a members meeting and drinks on Tuesday November 10 starting at 3pm and followed by Christmas drinks. This will be held at the Virginia Golf Club, Elliot Road, Banyo, QLD, 4014.

This will be our final members meeting in Brisbane for 2009.  It is a packed agenda with a couple of newsXpress exclusive announcements which members will not want to miss.

Great Halloween success at Wetherill Park

nx_wetherill_park.jpgThe team at newsXpress Wetherill Park created a stunning display for their first ever engagement with the Halloween season.  The display went up in September and they have sold out of everything, in advance of the big day.

This is an excellent example of using a newsXpress initiative to drive traffic and sales around a good margin story thanks to newsXpress preferred supplier relationships.  newsXpress brings all the elements of a successful campaign together for local action at the store level.

The execution by the team at newsXpress Wetherill Park has been excellent and the results rewarding.

Witches at newsXpress Laidley??!!

nx_laidley.JPGNot really witches, not at all!  Amanda kindly agreed to model the purple witches’ hat – part of the Halloween range at newsXpress Laidley.  Amanda is all smiles standing next to a great display of Halloween product which has been selling well as we approach the big day this Saturday.

newsXpress Laidley has embraced Halloween and represented newsXpress well with thes popular and profitable season.  The know how enjoyable the season can be and the word of mouth value for the business by embracing it.

newsXpress and Tattersalls embrace Halloween

nx_tattersalls.JPGThe newsXpress and Tattersalls Halloween marketing collateral work well together in-store – promoting dreams and fun for Halloween this Saturday, October 31.  By connecting newsXpress and Tattersalls in this way, newsXpress locations with Tattersalls are able to gain additional valuable leverage for their Halloween related sales.  Halloween 2009 is a great example of the newsXpress difference at work for our members.

Great 2010 diary marketing for newsXpress

nx_diaries.jpgnewsXpress members are about to receive A1 size collateral for promoting 2010 diaries in-store.

The collateral is being sent without cost to newsXpress members as part of our continuing commitment to helping newsXpress locations professionally merchandise key categories in their businesses.

The diary collateral follows the corporate image theme which is running through all newsXpress seasonal marketing.  This drives a visual consistency across visual merchandising in newsXpress locations and in our consumer marketing – a consistency which demonstrates the strength of disciplines within the group.

Halloween comes to Young, NSW

nx_young.jpgnewsXpress Young is having fun with a good range of scary products for Halloween this year.  Supported by the newsXpress Halloween collateral, this is a new opportunity for the business.

Situated on the Olympic Highway in the South West Slopes of NSW, Young is a great place to visit and offers something for everyone.  It attracts many tourists.  The Halloween offer will appeal to families travelling through as well as locals looking to have a bit of fun this Saturday night.

newsXpress does not endorse News To Business

newsXpress is disappointed that News To Business is paying to come up in Google searches for newsXpress.  This morning, if you type in newsXpress to a Google search, a sponsored link for News To Business comes up.

News To Business competes with newsXpress.  Our view is that they would be better off winning customers on their own merits rather than trying to ride off our coattails.

Scaring Castle Towers shoppers for Halloween

nx_halloween_ctowers.jpgHalloween is big business at newsXpress Castle Towers, showing that this party season can be a lot of fun and good for business in a large shopping centre based newsagency.  The newsXpress Castle Towers team has a broad range of Halloween products from the small to large.  They have an excellent range for  a Halloween party together and for those planning to walk the streets on a trick or treat mission.

The placement of Halloween near cards at Castle Towers is ideal in that it helps drive add-on greeeting card sales to the Halloween shopper.

Driving new traffic for stationery

nx_statnow.JPGSometimes the most obvious opportunities to find new customers are right in front of us.  This is what some newsXpress members are finding with the newsXpress EXCLUSIVE Stationery Now promotion.  The almost 1 million flyers delivered to letterbox and the in-store collateral are combining to draw new traffic in-store and one there convert this to sales.

Stationery Now is a brand based campaign, supported by key suppliers and newsXpress, designed to pitch newsXpress locations as offering.  It is deliberately running at a time of the year when few other stationery players, newsagents included, are promoting the category.

The newsXpress strategy has delivered excellent stationery product at highly competitive prices to our network and backed this with an integrated marketing and merchandising campaign which demonstrates the newsXpress difference.  So, this is a good traffic and good margin story – making old money new money.

We are proud to be innovating in this area – it certainly beats complaining or sitting on your hands.

Newsagents can use a professionally structured offer to drive good margin stationery sales.  newsXpress can show you how.

Golden Casket newsXpress Agent of the Year Award

golden-casket-award.JPGNia and Aaron Kugel from newsXpress Fernvale won the Golden Casket newsXpress Agent of the Year Award for 2009.  Announced by David Robinson, Head of Retail Golden Casket Lottery Corporation Limited, at our National Conference in Melbourne a week ago, the award recognises sales growth and engagement with Golden Casket products.  The award includes a cash price and movie passes to be shared with employees who helped the business win the award.  Congratulations of newsXpress Fernvale.