newsXpress Blog

Inspiring gifts driving sales

newsXpress members are reporting good sales from a new limited edition gift range from Hallmark. Featuring mugs, plaques and other items with inspiring quotes, these high quality gift items have arrived just in time for Christmas. Sourced through our strategic partner relationship with Hallmark, the items have been selected not only for Christmas but for their year-round appeal. They work especially well with Thank You cards and this is important given the number of Thank You cards newsagencies sell compared to all other card retailers.

With such strong early sales, newsXpress members offering these very exclusive gifts from Hallmark are looking forward to the Christmas season.

Christmas range at Forest Hill

newsXpress Forest Hill has the Tamarr and Fancy Pals ranges on display in the main traffic thoroughfare of the store. The display has only been up for two days and is already registering good sales. The Tamarr and Fancy Pals ranges are through newsXpress preferred suppliers and are feature ranges in our exclusive Christmas catalogue.

Strong early sales indicate that the newsXpress merchandise team has picked more winners for Christmas 2010.

Hallmark Christmas ornament collateral

We have produced a poster to support the 2010 range of Hallmark Christmas ornaments.

This EXCLUSIVE collateral artwork is available to newsXpress stores selling the limited edition range of ornaments from Hallmark.

The new range of ornaments have out at our corporate stores for a week and have already delivered good sales – they are loved by collectors.

newsXpress members wanting access to this collateral need to contact the newsXpress National Support Centre.

Melbourne Cup celebration at Ascot Vale

The team at newsXpress Ascot Vale got in the Melbourne Cup spirit this week with jockey outfits replacing their traditional newsXpress uniforms. Being the closest newsagency to the hallowed Flemington racecourse where the Melbourne Cup is run, it is fitting that the Ascot Vale team got behind the carnival. It looks like they had fun on the day!

Exclusive 2011 diary marekting collateral

newsXpress has shipped to all stores A2 double sided posters promoting the 2011 diary range:

These posters are being used in windows, in-store above diary displays and elsewhere in the store to promote the 2011 diary range.

The marketing collateral has been developed exclusively by newsXpress for our retail network.

The newsagency marketing group for the future

newsXpress is a newsagency marketing group focusing on the future, the future of businesses owned by our members, the future of the newsXpress retail network and the future of newsXpress itself.

newsXpress members have access to product and marketing initiatives which drive new traffic, excellent product deals which deliver excellent margins, business advice which guides business planning, lease advice which results in a competitive occupancy cost and in-store business assistance which helps with day to day issues.

In considering new members, newsXpress focuses on the people in the business more than size. We have seen some excellent members more than double their businesses in a few years with newsXpress by embracing the opportunities which newsXpress brings to the table.

newsXpress members who actively engage see healthy results on their P&L and this is what newsXpress relentlessley pursues through its initiatives.

Promoting gift cards and ink

newsXpress Knox is promoting the HOT Ink! sale and the Blackhawk gift card range at the entrance to the store with a couple of in-house printed A2 posters.

The Gift Card poster in particular has driven a measureable increase in sales. With ink it is harder to tell because of the flyer campaign which is currently on foot.

newsXpress provides the artwork for these in-store posters so that stores can print to the size which suits their needs: A4, A3 or A2.

At newsXpress Knox, the posters are changed every week, cycling between newsXpress collateral and key product collateral. In deciding what to promote in these highly visible locations, we select products and services which will attract new traffic to the business.

Great 2011 calendar range at Beechworth

newsXpress Beechworth has an excellent 2011 calendar range on display in-store.

Supported with the exclusive newsXpress calendar collateral above the displays, the range is professionally presented and driving good business as a result.

The broad range of calendar titles on show at newsXpress Beechworth reflects the newsXpress approach to calendars of serving the special interests of your customers as reflected in your magazine range. This is where the newsXpress category knowledge is helping our members extract maximum value from the calendar opportunity.

App Magnets gift a hit Christmas gift

The App Magnets which were released as part of the newsXpress Merry Giftmas offer are proving to be a popular impulse / counter line in newsXpress stores.

One newsXpress store has sold out and another had sold 60% of stock in just over a week.

The App Magnets are working well when placed in an easy to see position at the counter. Customers comment that they have never seen anything like them before. This is what drives the impulse purchase.

They are a perfect gift for anyone with an iPhone or iPad.

newsXpress is proud to have sourced such an innovative and popular gift for Christmas 2010. We are excited about the entire Christmas gift range and the point of difference it drives for our stores compare to other newsagencies.

Driving 2011 calendar sales

newsXpress members are using the marketing collateral provided by newsXpress for promoting the 2011 calendar range in a number of ways. The professionally designed and exclusive to newsXpress A2 poster can be seen in newsXpress stores in the front window, hanging above the calendar display and in a variety of other situations.

newsXpress offers year round assistance to store to leverage the maximum opportunity from calendars. This work culminates in sales achieved over the next twelve weeks.

Recordable Christmas storybook a hit

The Hallmark Christmas recordable storybook is being promoted widely by newsXpress stores thanks to excellent marketing colateral provided by Hallmark.

The photo shows the display at newsXpress Knox, one of our corporate stores. The centrepiece is a sample book which customers can try.

The best opportunity for selling the storybooks is right now – so that grandparents and parents can record the story well in advance of Christmas.

A day at the races

newsXpress Gympie had a great day at the races recently for the running of the 2010 Connolly’s newsXpress Flying Handicap.

Community events like this promote the sponsoring business, newsXpress Gympie, and the newsXpress brand widely – beyond the local reach of the store.

Wonderful Halloween window

In our last blog post of photos about Halloween 2010, we thought it fitting to show this photo of the front window of newsXpress Maryborough in Victoria. Click on the image for a larger (better quality) version of the photo. It shows the value of engaging a professional visual merchandiser to promote the business. Stunning!

Halloween dress ups at newXpress Eli Waters

Check out the team at newsXpress Eli Waters as they appeared yesterday celebrating Halloween in their store. Talk about engaging with the season! I especially like Allan’s outfit, newsXpress colours and all!

Fairfax newspapers are reporting this morning that Halloween has arrived in Australia with research showing that 20% of the population will engage this year. newsXpress is proud to have lead retailers for years, building this season each year to the excellent success this year. This is thanks to engagement by our members like newsXpress Eli Waters!

Great Halloween retail theatre at newsXpress Sunbury

Ben from newsXpress Sunbury is rightly proud of his work creating an innovative and successful window display promoting Halloween. This is another good example of retail theatre from the newsXpress family on display.

The photo also shows some of the many entries received for the Halloween colouring competition around the doorway and on the far window.

Kudos to Ben and all at newsXpress Sunbury for enjoying Halloween 2010.

newsXpress Haly Street promotes Halloween on radio

newsXpress Haly Street has been advertising Halloween on radio. Click here to hear their ad. It is a terrific promotion for their Halloween range as well as their Halloween photo competition. Well done on such an innovative approach to prooting Halloween!

Halloween with papers at Whittlesea

newsXpress Whittlesea has been promoting Halloween in a range of places in-store through the season. The latest location for some of the range has been above newspapers. This is an excellent move for impulse sales of Halloween products.

Moving seasonal items, especially impulse and fun items like Halloween products, helps find extra sales from existing customers and thereby improves basket efficiency.

Scary owners at Wetherill Park

Antonella and Ginella, owners of newsXpress Wetherill Park, got into the swing of Halloween yesterday, dressing up to celebrate the big day on October 31. Halloween is about fun and retail theatre and these two beautiful ladies are certainly embracing both. Anyone visiting newsXpress Wetherill Park this Halloween would certainly have had their share of fun while shopping.

Halloween 2010 at newsXpress Southport Park

Right at the front of the store and luring customers in is this wonderful display of Halloween products at newsXpress Southport Park.

Bright, bold and easily shopped, the offer is attractive to kids and families looking to have some fun this Halloween.

Halloween is a wonderful opportunity to attract new traffic – as they have been doing at newsXpress Southport Park.

Halloween at newsXpress Kingaroy

Halloween products have been greeting customers at newsXpress Kingaroy through this fun season.

Well merchandised from the cobwebs hanging from the ceiling to products down to the floor and setup for for easy impulse shopping, they have offered an excellent range of Halloween products.