newsXpress focus group discusses Christmas

We hosted an online focus group of selected members last week to discuss our plans for Christmas.  During the session a range of products were shown and feedback solicited.  By using online meeting technology, newsXpress is able to pull on the advice and knowledge of newsXpress members from around the country.  The result will be a Christmas offer based on significant member input.

newsXpress member meetings this month

newsXpress is hosting member meetings this month in four cities:

  • NSW – Tuesday, 20th July, 2010 – 9.15am – Rydges Camperdown
  • VIC – Thursday, 22nd July, 2010 – 9.15am – Mulgrave Country Club
  • QLD – Tuesday, 27th July, 2010 – 9.15am – Nudgee Golf Club
  • WA – Thursday, 29th July, 2010 – 9.45am – Metro Hotel on Canning

We have a terrific business building agenda planned along with some excellent product opportunities on show.

Congratulations newsXpress Gympie!

Warrick Hosking has propelled newsXpress Gympie to take out the number 1 Emerald title in the Connections with ACP marketing program.  Through intensive in-store marketing, social media activity and other initives, Warrick is driving excellent traffic and leading good sales grrowth.

This is a coveted title among newsagents.  Warrick and the team at newsXpress Gympie should be proud!

Read some of what has been published at the Connections website:

In a Connections first newsXpress Gympie broke the one thousand Credit mark and accrued 1,190 Activity Credits by dedicating their window, promotional space and counter unit to Connections, reading their newsletter every week, participating in the fortnightly polls and surveys, completing their returns online, making regular online redemptions, and participating in any over and above initiatives from Connections.

The deciding chunk of Activity Credits always comes down to the level of store participation in Local Store Marketing activities. From January to June Warrick executed 78 LSM campaigns accumulating over 800 Activity Credits which gave him a healthy lead.

Since the introduction of Facebook into his business Warrick has moved majority of his campaigns online and continues to build his social network to drive magazine sales.

Helping to raise funds for breast cancer research

newsXpress received a wonderful note from Annette Sym, author of the Symply Too Good cookbooks, thanking us for our support of her efforts to raise money for breast cancer reseatch.

Here is what Annette had to say:

Thank you and NewsXpress so much for providing us with your fabulous NewsXpress black enviro bags, caps and water bottles for our Symply Food, Symply Fit, Symply Pink breast cancer fundraising event on the 22nd June 2010. The first 100 people who booked to attend our event received their wonderful gift bags on the night, which contained a fantastic array of donated goodies including your caps and water bottles, and we could see that everyone was absolutely thrilled to receive them. We were also able to auction one of the gift bags on the night, which generated further fundraising. Thank you for being so generous and helping to make it such a special night – we greatly appreciate it – and a big thank you from Annette for all your support.

Please find attached our Sponsor’s Thank You page which was given to all 200 attendees, as well as being shown on our large presentation screen during the night.

We are absolutely delighted to announce that the fundraising goal set out in December 2009 has officially been reached! Due to all the amazing people who volunteered their help, time and resources we have raised over $10,000 for the National Breast Cancer Foundation. As you are aware our first event, held in February 2010, was the Train Like a Girl Breast Cancer Challenge and then last week, Symply Food, Symply Fit, Symply Pink! The two events combined have raised a total of:

$10, 510.50 !!!

Without the spirit and generosity of our community, this goal would never have been achieved.

Finally, on behalf of Jen’s sister Michelle and family – THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!

Thank you for helping us to make a difference

Help with buying a newagency

newsXpress is helping more people in buying a newsagency whether it is an existing newsagency of a greenfield location.  Our extensive resources from lease advice through to shop fit services and in-store management guidance combine to help anyone buying a newsagency to make a better decision and position themselves to achieve the return they hope for.

It’s the newsXpress difference at work.

Toy Story promotion at newsXpress Sunbury Square

sunbury-square.JPGThe team at newsXpress Sunbury Square (VIC) has put together a terrific promotion for products related to the Toy Story movie which opened this week.  They have sourced licenced product from Hallmark and another newsXpress preferred supplier.

The range of products on offer is considerably more than you will see in a traditional newsagency – this is the newsXpress difference on show in Sunbury and exclusively at newsXpress Sunbury Square.

Cleverly placed on the dance floor near greeting cards, the display is designed to attract kids, parents and grandparents.

Eclipse products at newsXpress Wetherill Park

wetherill-park-eclipse.jpgThe team at newsXpress Wetherill Pack is backing their bold cinema advertising campaign promoting eclipse movie merchandise campaign with an excellent display.  The photo to the left shows just part of the display.

All of the eclipse products, clothing, games, calendars, boxes and other product have been sourced through and with the help of newsXpress preferred suppliers.

This display is an inspiration to all newsagents.

Planning for gift fair season

newsXpress is helping its members plan for the gift fair season which starts next week in Sydney.  We have shared details of newsXpress preferred suppliers at each of the fairs and offered access to our merchandise resources to help members make selections as they expand their gift ranges.

At some fairs we plan to facilitate members getting together to compare notes and learn from the shared experience.

Free customer newsletter from newsXpress

fhn_nlet.JPGnewsXpress members are loving the IN STORE OFFERS newsletter which we provide free for members to customise and print locally.  The June newsletter highlights the World Cup promotion, a Hallmark card special, UHU glue sticks, Better Homes & Gardens and the ACP Slow Cooker cookbook.

We have newsXpress members distributing these on stands in front of their stores, with accounts, to letterboxes and through other forms.  The feedback is that the newsletters are driving good shopper engagement.

newsXpress offers its members a range of customisable flyers like this for members to use to drive traffic and sales.

newsXpress Wetherill Park cinema advertising

newsXpress Wetherill Park is advertising their range of Twilight eclipse merchandise in the cinema in their centre.  The eclipse merchandise has been sourced through newsXpress preferred suppliers.

The newsXpress marketing team helped the Wetherill Park team with the script for the advertisement and some of the collateral used.

News Magazines and newsXpress promote Alpha

nx-alpha.JPGnewsXpress stores across the country have each been given a Jabulani soccer ball, the one being used in the World Cup, to give away in a competition promoting the latest issue of Alpha magazine.

This competition is the latest initiative from the News Magazines / newsXpress relationship designed to drive sales for the benefit of newsXpress members and News.

In addition to the soccer ball, News Magazines provided collateral to help drive sales – including the branded backing card in the photo (larger photo available here).

Brilliant Toy Story display at Wetherill Park

wetherillpark_toystory.jpgThe team at newsXpress Wetherill Park has created a stunning display promoting Toy Story merchandise.  Facing customers as they enter the store, the display is sure to attract plenty of attention and drive excellent sales.

This display is a perfect example of how to transition your newsagency away from looking like a traditional newsagency.  It exudes excitement and represents the type of retail theatre which we see as essential from retailers today.

The range on offer shows that newsXpress Wetherill Park is the place to go for Toy Story product.

The Toy Story puzzles are from a newsXpress preferred supplier.

Hearing the happy winning newsXpress customer on radio

newsXpress radio is running an interview with the happy winner of our Back to Work competition after they have taken delivery of their brand new Toyota Yaris. Following such a large competition through to the conclusion and sharing the joy of the winner with our customers – over newsXpress Radio – is exciting for our stores and also transparent.

We take the competitions we run seriously and are pleased to have an in-store radio medium through which we can promote successes such as our Toyota Yaris giveaway.

newsXpress Terrigal promotes the 2010 World Cup

terrigal_world_cup.JPGThe team at newsXpress Terrigal has created am excellent window display promoting the 2010 World Cup.  Using newsXpress World Cup collateral across the top of the window as well as World Cup material from other suppliers the team has created a window display which is sure to be hit with customers and the talk of the town.

This window display sets a high benchmark for newsXpress members and newsagents generally.

newsXpress supports Red Nose Day

newsXpress is proud to be the exclusive newsagency channel partner for Red Nose Day again this year.  A excellent range of high profile retailers support Red Nose Day including Big W, Target, Blockbuster, Mobil, Dick Smith, Spotlight and Priceline.

newsXpress stores are offering a range of Red Nose Day merchandise in support of fundraising for this important cause.