newsXpress at QLD State Conference

20090324_0143.jpgnewsXpress had an excellent contingent at the QNF Queensland State Conference yesterday in Brisbane. The conference provided a range of stimulating speakers and some excellent opportunities for networking with newsagents and suppliers. newsXpress is proud to have been a key financial supporter of the event and to have had another opportunity through which to demonstrate practical support for all newsagents. Kudos to the QNF for excellent organisation.

Customers responding to newsXpress coupons

nx_coupons.jpgnewsXpress members are reporting a good response to the call to action coupons on the latest HOT Ink! flyer.  Redeeming the coupons, customers are able to go beyond the very competitive pricing on the flyer.  This is another way newsXpress is positioning the brand with a differentiating value proposition.

We understand that we need to keep innovating to find new customers for our members.  This month’s coupon offer will evolve in the next HOT Ink! flyer.  What will not change is our commitment to brand – in this marketplace, brand is important as it represents value in the minds of consumers.  This is why we boldly support HP, Canon, Epson and brother.

newsXpress baskets make shopping easy

nx_shop_bag.JPGThe newsXpress branded basket makes shopping easier in our stores while reinforcing our brand at the same time. The quality of the basket itself speaks to the quality of the newsXpress brand.  These baskets are another opportunity for our members to anchor their businesses around the newsXpress brand and distance themselves from the more generic and vague newsagency shingle.

We understand the importance of shoppers knowing where they are – knowing the name of the business helps being them back to us based on the experience.

The baskets, our newsXpress branded bags, staff uniforms, name badges and other in-store tools professionally represent the newsXpress brand and the shopping experience.  Attention to these details is as important as is attention to having the right mix of products sourced for the right price.

Second newsXpress location in Bathurst

21st-march-001.jpgGeoff and Virginia Dale opened their second newsXpress location in Bathurst this week.  This newsXpress newsagency / gift shop looks excellent by all accounts – welldesigned, very professional presentation, well stocked and with a team of friendly staff ready to provide the excellent customer service for which they have become known in Bathurst.

Geoff and Virginia have stocked the shop with traditional newsagency lines: magazines, newspapers, Lotteries and major brands of stationery.  They have also brought in an excellent range of gifts – sales in the first couple of days have shown the value of excellent buying in the gift department.

Local area marketing workshop

newsXpress is hosting an online workshop on Local Area Marketing next week, on Tuesday March 24. 

How to grow your sales using Local Area Marketing will be facilitated by Trent Shields, our National Marketing Manager.  This is set to be an informative session and is sure to deliver tools newsXpress members can use to grow their businesses.  Crucially, the session will connect members from various states in a discussion abut local marketing – it is networking like this which newsXpress members love.

Bookings are via the members area of the newsXpress website.

Transparency with newsXpress members

As part of our commitment to transparency, newsXpress has provided six pages of notes from the recent round of member meetings.  This keeps those unable to attend in the loop on what was discussed and opens opportunities for further discussion on the many topics covered.  The notes also hold newsXpress accountable to its members on responses to issues and other deliverables.

This is another way newsXpress demonstrates its difference in the newsagency marketing group space.

The fashionable newsXpress bag

zoe.jpgHere is the latest in how to use the newsXpress red bag!!! Zoe, sister of newsXpress Kin Kora member Sarah, is shown wearing a newsXpress red bag as a top to a Rubik’s cube party. As sarah says: It’s the most fashionable red bag I’ve ever seen. We agree!

The newsXpress red bags are provided to newsXpress members for sale and for use with in-store and local area promotions.  It’s another part of our environmental strategy.

newsXpress supports Queensland newsagents

newsXpress is proud to be able to demonstrate practical support for newsagents by being a major sponsor of the Queensland Newsagents State Conference next week.  Our newsXpress Gold sponsorship and a Bronze sponsorship by Newspower are the only newsagent marketing group support for the conference.  Other marketing groups have passed on the opportunity to show their support not only for the QNF but for newsagents more broadly.

newsXpress urges all marketing groups to proactively support newsagents and events like next week’s conference for it is these events which strengthen the channel which is important to us.

Chocolatier eggs for Easter

nx_choco.jpgnewsXpress has partnered with the respected Chocolatier brand for premium Easter chocolate products.  From single eggs to gift packs, newsXpress newsagents are able to source an excellent range of Easter chocolate products.  We are especially pleased to have available the Pink Ribbon related Easter range – the sale of which raises funds for the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

The relationship with Chocolatier is part of the new national confectionery strategy announced earlier this year – this strategy unlocks an excellent range of confectionery products for newsXpress members at competitive prices.

Saturday lotto syndicate sell out

Our first newsXpress GROUP ‘SUPER SYNDICATE’ has been a resounding success with the last of the 152 shares selling out this morning. With still 10 days left until the Super Draw this is an outstanding result.

Individually several stores recorded exceptional sales with newsXpress Lowood selling 35 shares between themselves and their second store newsXpress Fernvale, this was after committing to just four shares! They also rewarded the staff member who sold the most shares with a Myer voucher.

newsXpress Gympie also excelled with an amazing 16 shares sold after committing to just five.

Mother’s Day offers for newsXpress members

newsXpress last week advised member newsagents of Mother’s Day offers from seven suppliers.  Our merchandise team has negotiated a range of offers which will help our members have well-priced gifts and associated lines with which to celebrate Mother’s Day this year.  This is another season through which we can expand the gift offer.

In developing our seasonal plans, our merchandise experts meet with many suppliers, attend Gift Fairs and talk with newsXpress members strong in the gift space.  This information is considered and the final selection developed through the year.

By releasing Mother’s Day in mid-March, our members are able to plan and have stock available immediately after Easter.

Exclusive Select AFL cards promotion

nx_select.jpgnewsXpress members in Victoria are participating in an exclusive marketing campaign around the Select AFL Champions cards.  In addition to receiving premium promotional material, newsXpress members have access to an exclusive competition based on in-store marketing of the cards.

This promotion is timely in AFL-mad Victoria where the Select cards usually sell out.  newsXpress locations are well positioned to drive tremendous success from this opportunity and be known as the go-to retailer for the Select AFL Champions cards.

newsXpress member meetings

newsXpress has announced the next round of member meetings.  The agenda for these meetings includes: new great deal product opportunities, merchandise plans for Q3 2009, talk about brand compliance, year to date group financials and an update on our magazine project.

Brisbane: April 21, 10am
Brisbane Technology Park, Eight Mile Plains

Melbourne: April 23, 10am
Malvern Valley Golf & Reception Centre (Arlington)

Sydney: April 28, 10am
The Lakes Golf Club, Eastlakes NSW

Perth: May 5
Online

newsXpress will be represented by the Directors and senior management.  Each meeting will include an open forum as well as networking opportunities.  Booking is via the members area of the newsXpress website.

Prospective newsXpress members who would like to attend should make contact with us on availability.

More than the deals

12th-march-002.jpgWhile newsXpress negotiates exclusive deals on products for its members, it is at the back end of the business that we deliver tremendous benefit for our members. Deals will not sell unless you pull new people in with professional marketing. Deals will not sell unless you present them professionally. Deals will not sell unless you provide training and product knowledge for staff which helps them leverage them.

Troy and the team at newsXpress Wagga Wagga understand this and embrace all that newsXpress offers – right down to our branded sale table cover as shown in the photo from their store this week.

By promoting the brand of the store along with a hot deal around art, newsXpress Wagga Wagga is pitching true value of customers walking past their newsagency. Pitching the brand even in this subtle way is important because now, more than ever before, the difference in newsagencies is obvious.

From table cloths, to uniforms, to name badges to shop signage, newsXpress offers a branding solution to enable members to be proud of their newsXpress membership and to let customers know where they can experience the newsXpress difference.

Reinventing the newsagency ink offer

hotink7.jpgnewsXpress has evolved its Hot Ink! offer to keep its 160 newsagent members ahead of the pack when it comes to ink, toner and related products.  While previous Hot Ink! offers have worked very well for us and our members, we knew we could not rest on our laurels.  Hence changes which include four supplier-funded offers.  Two of these offers are exclusive to newsXpress newsagencies.

The two-page brochure, distributed to hundreds of thousands of homes around Australia, is the first of its kind in the newsagency channel in that it promotes coupons, cashbacks and bonuses is a way never used by newsagents.

Historically, newsagents have promoted ink around price using catalogues that look like price lists.  Our goal was to create a professional and compelling offer which separated us from this me-too marketing approach and which worked as a call to action.

Beyond the marketing support, newsXpress helps with ranging, merchandising and staff training.

Promoting Lovatts crosswords

lovatpromo.jpgnewsXpress newsagencies are proactively promoting the exclusive Lovatts bonus package this month.  We also have a free pencil for every customer – crossword customers love using pencils.  To support the promotion, stores are being given marketing collateral as well as plenty of pencils to give away.  The newsXpress exclusive bonus pack includes: Holiday Collections Issue 68, a  Cryptic Collections A4 puzzle book and a handy How to do Cryptic Crosswords booklet, total value of over $16 for just $9.50.  This offer helps us demonstrate again to our customers that we offer excellent value.