Face to face with newsXpress members

Our team of Business Development Managers are travelling the country these next few weeks, completing our last round on in-store visits for 2008 with newsXpress members, working on group strategies and delivering training and other support to help our member businesses experience a great Christmas.

Over the next two weeks members of our team will visit with newsXpress newsagents in many cities including Cairns, Townsville, Rockhampton, Mackay, Darwin, Devonport, Burnie, Bairnsdale, Yarram, Lismore, Armidale, Tamworth, Singleton – and these are just some of the regional centres we will cover.

These visits are a considerable point of difference for newsXpress and for our members. Newsagency suppliers like that we have a team which conducts these in-store visits. Suppliers tell us they are tired of negotiating deals for newsagents which are not backed by an association or marketing group to help the deal achieve the maximum potential for newsagents and for the supplier. Our BDM team and bring supplier offers and newsagent needs to a commercially rewarding union thanks to our store visitation program.

As one of our members said recently, it is like having your own personal business coach.

Not all newsagents are the same

2008 has seen the difference between newsagencies grow considerably.  From traditional departments such as magazines and greeting cards to new departments such as gifts and art, newsagents are breaking with the past in pursuit of new opportunities.

newsXpress is leading treasure hunt for proactive entrepreneurial newsagents.  We are able to do this thanks to a community of energetic and future focused newsagents, a back office team of experts who relentlessly search for new opportunities, landlords who like what we do and su0ppliers keen to be part of our growing group.

While we have support the broader newsagency channel in a variety of ways this year including national and state conference sponsorships, we reserve our prime focus for the growing newsXpress community.  These are the newsagents who pay us to serve them.  These are the newsagents actively investing in the growth of their businesses.

We expect to see considerable change in the newsagency channel in 2009.  The gap between growing newsagents and others will widen.  Here at newsXpress,new members are always welcome.  It uis the individuals behind a business we treasure the most for we have seen the smallest of newsagencies grow dramatically outside their four walls once newsXpress opportunities are fully leveraged.

Flexibility for newsXpress members

newsXpress members get to choose which promotions and offers from the group they take up in their newsagencies.  No promotion is mandatory.  No product offer take-up is required.  While many members embrace our offers, because of the traffic generated and or excellent margin, we do not force anyone.

We mention this here today because there is a bit of noise in the newsagency marketplace that we do force members to take up offers.

Better margins for newsXpress newsagents

newsXpress has secured another high-margin Christmas product offer for its members.  This latest offer, in the fast moving social stationery / gift area, provides newsXpress newsagents with access to excellent quality branded product at extraordinary prices.  Our members can expect to achieve margins of 70% and higher.

Representing more than 150 locations, newsXpress is able to deliver access to a network of proactive newsagents, making our group truly valuable to suppliers seeking to quit stock.  Members taking up this latest offer can bank on thousands of dollars more than might have otherwise been available.

In today’s marketplace we anticipate seeing more opportunistic offers such as that just secured by newsXpress for its members.  Our work in this area is another way we provide value of membership.

Greeting card workshop a winner in WA

20081118_0080_1.jpgRon Thorpe, one of Australia’s foremost experts on greeting cards hosted a newsXpress greeting card workshop earlier this week in Perth.  Ron’s workshop was the final leg in a national tour promoting smart management of and engagement with the greeting card category.  It is training such as this which helps newsXpress stores drive above industry average same store year on year sales growth in the greeting card category.

Making Christmas gift packs

nxdbay_tree.JPGAlexandra Carey from newsXpress Deception Bay in Queensland has developed a unique gift idea for Christmas.  By using small Christmas trees and adding themed items, Alexandra has created a range of gifts for customers.

The Toilet-tree has Christmas themed toilet paper, bubble bath, face washer and soap lollipop.  The Secra-tree has a diary, a Zebra pen and a pack of post-it notes.

These packs make gift giving easy and add some fun to retail.  Alexandra is making packs to order for customers.  This is excellent innovation at a local store level!

newsXpress newsagents are innovative.  They also share ideas for the greater good of the newsXpress community.  Good things happen when like minded newsagents work together.

Excellent buying now for Boxing Day sales

nxcal.JPGnewsXpress is helping its members set themselves up for bumper Boxing Day sales with another high margin offer.  This time it is in the lucrative calendar category.  newsXpress members have access to margins of 90% thanks to the work newsXpress has done on their behalf.

With exclusive first access to these deals, newsXpress members are better prepared to compete in the sales and art other times thanks to the national buying the group is able to leverage.

The newsXpress merchandise team relentlessly seeks out product offers such as the latest calendar deal on behalf of members as part of the service we offer.

newsXpress announces WA expansion

nx_grahamnjarad.JPGnewsXpress yesterday introduced its Western Australian members to Jarrad Zanich, our new Business Development Manager working full time for newsXpress from mid January 2009. Jarrad is reluctantly leaving a successful role with Hallmark to join newsXpress. He will be responsible for growing our representation in Western Australia and helping our members derive greater success from their businesses. Here is the text of a press release issued today announcing Jarrad’s appointment.

 

NEWSXPRESS EXPANDS IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA

newsXpress, the premier marketing group for Australian newsagents, has announced expansion in Western Australia with the appointment of Jarrad Zanich in a new role for the group as West Australian Business Development Manager.

Jarrad brings three years experience with Hallmark Cards as a successful Account Manager and prior to that, three years with Coca Cola Amatil as a Senior Business Development representative.

 “Jarrad provides newsXpress with an excellent on-the-ground business development resource exclusive for our West Australian members.”  said Graham Randall, founding Director of newsXpress.  “his passion for newsagents and his proven business skills will help our business and the businesses of members excel”.

 “I am excited to be joining the best newsagency marking group in Australia.”  Jarrad Zanich commented.  “To be able to walk into a newsagency and provide excellent business building resources is something is my passion.”

newsXpress Business Development Managers work very closely with newsXpress  members in their businesses on newsXpress exclusive strategies.  It is through this in-the-field connection with its members that newsXpress is able to outperform other marketing groups.

Jarrad will work with newsXpress full time covering all of Western Australia and assisted by others from the newsXpress national team.   

The photo shows Jarrad with newsXpress founding Director Graham Randall.

Meeting members in Western Australia

dsc04840.JPGWe had an excellent members meeting in Perth yesterday where we reviewed 2008 and discussed plans for 2009.  We shared details of several exclusive and valuable offers and discussed the details of forthcoming marketing initiatives.  Western Australia is a strong market for newsXpress.  Newsagents are welcoming our newsagency marketing group offer given the point of difference it provides.

Representing newsXpress yesterday was our National Sales Manager, Karen Sutton, our National Merchandise Manager, Ben Kay, our Card specialist Ron Thorpe and our Directors Graham Randall and Mark Fletcher.  The depth of this team demonstrates our commitment to the West Australian marketplace.

Brisbane members meeting

We are hosting our last members meeting for the year in Brisbane on Thursday November 27.  At this meeting we will cover our marketing plans for the first quarter of 2009 and share information of exclusive products offers available to newsXpress members.  The meeting will be short so that our members are not kept from their businesses for too long in the lead up to Christmas.

We run this program of members meetings because networking is a key benefit for newsXpress newsagents.  Over a few hours you get to mix with a group of proactive forward thinking newsagents.  Every member every time leaves with new ideas for their business.

Newsagents considering joining a marketing group are welcome to contact us for an invitation to one of our members meetings.  We gladly welcome prospective members to show off this important newsXpress point of difference.

Online members meeting

newsXpress is hosting an online members meeting for members unable to get to our current series of member meetings. Scheduled for Tuesday November 25 at 2pm, this meeting will include discussions on Back To School, Calendars, Diaries and our marketing and product plans for the first quarter of 2009. It will also include an open forum where members can provide input into our future plans. Dialogue such as this is a key newsXpress point of difference.

Our online member meeting strategy brings together members across state borders for a proactive business discussion. Our members tell us that the networking is genuinely valuable in building healthier businesses. When you put proactive newsagents together good things happen.

Member meetings, face to face and online, are a key part of the newsXpress offer. They supplement our in-store visits where we work one-on-one with members. This comprehensive business support is another newsXpress difference and a reason our stores perform so well across so many key newsagency categories.

Free calendar marketing collateral

nx_cal.JPGOur marketing team has created new marketing collateral to help newsXpress stores promote the excellent range of calendars available this year. The A2 colour posters are provided to members free of charge, as part of our marketing commitment.

We see newsXpress stores which generate a gross profit contribution of upwards of $50,000 a year from calendars. In the high street and rural situations we see members generating well in excess of $10,000 gross profit contribution. This is growing year by year, ahead of many other departments in newsagencies. This excellent GP contribution and growth is achieved through the exclusive newsXpress calendar offer.

newsXpress leads the newsagency channel in calendars. Our members have access to:

  • Better range – providing an excellent point of difference.
  • Better pricing – you make more off each calendar.
  • Better in-store marketing collateral – posters, a catalogue and other materials..
  • Better product support from our in-house calendar expert – help with ordering, merchandising, pricing and consumer questions.
  • Smart branding – through promoting calendars under a collective sub brand, calendarXpress, and reaching more consumers than a traditional newsagency promotion would attract.

Excellent Christmas offer for newsXpress members

christmas-gifts-703428.jpgnewsXpress has put an excellent offer offer of discounted premium Christmas stock to its members. This range of well-known branded items will sell for a margin of 80% and still be excellent value for customers.  The products are a perfect fit for newsagencies.   newsXpress is the only newsagency marketing group offering this stock to its members.

The products are ideal impulse lines and make for excellent Christmas gifts for neighbours, friends and family members. They represent a new category of item for many newsagents yet will sell very easily.

This is one of several offers being put to newsXpress members leading up to Christmas. It is part of our merchandise team’s commitment to source excellent value deals to help our members increase sales and achieve more valuable margins.

We are not about to publish the details of the offer here as it is exclusive to newsXpress members. It is another benefit of membership with our newsagency marketing group.

Brilliant calendar display at Indooroopilly

newsxpress-013.jpgThe team at newsXpress Indooroopilly has created a stunning calendar outpost at their centre in Brisbane. A visit to the outpost will show what a smart newsagent can do to compete with bigger retailers. This aerial photo shows how they have embraced newsXpress corporate style. The outpost is a world class consumer friendly brand focused calendar story.

The calendarXpress branding of the outpost is another sub brand of newsXpress, focused solely on the lucrative calendar offer.

newsXpress works with its members on strategies such as this outpost from design up. We have a range of outpost and hero product merchandising options available for group members to consider.

NSW members meeting

nxnswmmeet.JPGOur members meeting in NSW yesterday was very well attended. It is terrific so many newsagents could take time out of their busy Christmas season to network with fellow newsagents and soak up some newsXpress exclusive training. Meetings like offer an excellent networking opportunity for newsXpress members and prospective members. They are also a great sounding board for new initiatives being considered by the group.

Yesterday’s meeting included a good discussion about strategies for building financially healthier businesses – proactive newsagents talking and working with each other on a common goal.  This is where the real value of being part of newsXpress lies.

Protecting the newsXpress brand

As newsXpress grows across Australia, more newsagents, suppliers and other stakeholders are relying on the broader newsXpress community to protect our brand.  This is why we have standards for newsagencies trading under our brand.  Newsagents who are unwilling to meet these minimum standards over a reasonable period of time are invited to find a home elsewhere for their business.

While this approach may seem harsh, there is no point in building and promoting a brand if it does not stand for something unique and valuable.

Christmas gift support

nx_chri_puzz1.JPGnewsXpress has created innovative marketing collateral to support our range of Christmas gift offers. The collateral makes each hero product, well, a hero and helps our members pitch their newsagencies as great places to shop this Christmas.

Our merchandise team has negotiated good deals around a range of carefully selected gift and related products to help our stores make the most of the Christmas gift opportunity.  These products help us position our group differently to the more traditional newsagency.

Our exclusive Christmas collateral is being provided without cost to all newsXpress member stores.  

At our National Support Centre newsXpress has a team of people working on opportunities such as our Christmas offer.  Each opportunity is carefully considered and weighed against the needs of our diverse member group.  Member meetings such as those being run this week and next provide us with opportunities to gain member feedback on our offers and refine them as necessary.

Here at newsXpress we take our role of helping our members grow their businesses seriously – even for a fun season like Christmas.

Giving away 20 Nintendo Wii

wii.JPGnewsXpress is giving away twenty Nintendo Wii as part of its in-store Back To School promotion.  To enter, consumers will register following their purchase in a newsXpress newsagency at our new website.

We selected the Wii because it connects well with the target demographic for Back To School.

newsXpress has been able to deliver this valuable prize pool thanks to the generous support of the key brands featured in our Back To School catalogue and in our supporting advertising.

Get organised for 2009

nx_organised.JPGGet organised for 2009 is the call to action in our marketing collateral around diaries and calendars this year.  newsXpress is helping its members leverage excellent diary and calendar sales this year through marketing collateral like the A5 brochure in the photo.  Many of our members are using this to draw shoppers in.  The key brands focus as well as a strong environmental message are helping to drive success.

Thanks to excellent negotiation by newsXpress we have been able to deliver very competitive pricing to our members and thereby strengthened the economic value of the diary and calendar categories.  Some new members find that their entire year’s membership fee is funded from the additional margin they make from one season of calendars.