newsXpress Blog

Promoting the shredder

Father’s Day has been a tremendous success at newsXpress this year. Our stores have had a range of good-value items available including this Safeguard shredder which also came with a free photo album valued at $9.95. The album was exclusive to newsXpress and provided us with another way to show the value of the newsXpress difference – to the consumer and to the newsXpress newsagent.

We understand that we compete against the big retail chains and that having a genuine point of difference is crucial. Our merchandise team looks for ways to show this beyond price and range.

newsXpress members have reported excellent results from the shredder offer.

newsXpress national TV commercial

Our latest TV commercial starts tomorrow night on ten pay-TV channels as well as free to air – channels 7, 9, 10, WIN and Southern Cross. This TV campaign is promoting our latest Hot Ink offer and pitched our group of close to 150 stores against the majors. Given the value in the latest Hot Ink offer we are very happy to be in this competitive situation.

newsXpress members tell us that the Hot Ink marketing – the flyers and the TVC – help change consumer behavior. Our investment in better buying supported by strong national marketing shows that we can convince consumers that newsagent, newsXpress newsagents, offer good value. Our consistently strong Hot Ink offers, integrated with everything else newsXpress offers, demonstrates the value of newsXpress membership.

The latest Hot Ink TVC will run natuionally for two weeks and cap off another very successful Hot Ink campaign.

Only newsXpress has a commitment to regular call-to-action marketing outside traditional seasons.

Extending Father’s Day

newsXpress helps its members broaden range around traditional shopping behaviour. Father’s Day is an excellent example of this strategy at work. the newsXpress merchandise team sourced a range of Father’s Day gift lines, many from suppliers new to newsagents.

This week, in the home stretch of the Father’s Day season, we have been hearing from newsXpress members about what has worked and what has not. While there have been some items which have not worked, they will easily fit in-store and sell between now and Christmas. These products are far outweighed by success stories. newsXpress members are reporting dramatic increases in gift line sales for Father’s Day around our offers.

Our merchandise team works hard to help our members push the boundaries. It is only by doing this that we are able to find what our businesses are capable of. We know the days of the traditional supplier driven newsagent are over. Our entrepreneurial members want to grow stronger, more margin-balanced businesses. Our buying and our supporting marketing collateral pursue this goal of margin balance relentlessly.

Our annual conference on the Gold Coast later this month will cover our merchandise strategies in more detail. If you are not a newsXpress members and want to get an insight into the newsXpress different, consider joining us at the conference on September 18 and 18.

Stationery is more than buying

Buying stationery at the right price is important. How you manage the product in-store is equally important. newsXpress recognises the importance of store layout and offers a plan a gram service to its members. Drawing in industry expert advice, we are helping newsXpress members develop new in-store plans around stationery which drive sales. Product adjacencies, brand promotion and retail theatre are all part of what our experts bring to the table in relaying stationery.

Our intellectual property around our approach to stationery is exclusive. It is another reason why we see newsXpress members embracing the model perform so well in the stationery department.

At our Annual Conference on the Gold Coast later this month we will share some insights into our approach on stationery which will further propel newsXpress newsagents to greater success.

Managing magazines in-store

Magazines are important to newsagencies, even more so in newsXpress. From our exclusive MPA category coded magazine header cards through to our unique loyalty program, we actively work this category to our advantage by delivering to our members a cohesive group of strategies and tactics which generate store traffic, increase basket size and make the magazine customer more valuable.

Our intellectual property around magazines is valuable as the results achieved by our members shows. newsXpress newsagents can bank of the success of magazines, for many it is a key financial justification for joining the group.

While others see magazines as a chore, the newsXpress magazine ‘system’ is delivering excellent results and providing our network with an excellent point of difference.

Win a watch for Dad

newsXpress stores are each offering a watch for one lucky Dad this Father’s Day. Run in association with Hallmark, this competition is popular because it offers a prize at the store level. Newsagents tell us this is important, that one of their customers is guaranteed to win. The watch promotion is another way newsXpress newsagencies are playing in a different space to many others. While the watch is on offer to Hallmark Alliance Program newsagents, newsXpress members are part of the Alliance program for no cost – this is a key deliverable from joining newsXpress.

A typical newsXpress store, embracing all of the marketing and support in the greeting card space, will achieve same store year on year sales growth in the double digits without giving away margin. newsXpress offers a host of strategies which guide this outcome.

At our national conference later this month on the Gold Coast we will share some confidential insights into the greeting card market and seek to help our members power even further ahead in this important category.

Cars for dad

newsXpress members are reporting excellent results from the range of gifts sourced exclusively for members for this Father’s Day. Even newsagents who have been in gifts before have been surprised by the results. The Kombi van book ends have been very popular, selling out in several stores already.

newsXpress has several strategies for members which help them reach into new product categories. These strategies feed into a cohesive whole of business plan. Father’s Day 2008 is another step forward in our overall plan to help newsXpress newsagents build stronger, more viable and more valuable businesses.

The book ends have been helped along by the Father’s Day book sale running in some stores at the same time.

Visual merchandising for newsagents

Having the right product on the shop floor is important. Landing it there for a good price is another. What you do with this product once it gets there is even more important. Too often in newsagencies we see opportunities lost because of poor in-store displays. This is a topic which will receive attention at the newsXpress conference on the Gold Coast next month. We have an expert in the visual merchandising field presenting at the conference. We also have members showing off their best displays and network with colleague newsagents, discussing what works in their business and what does not.

At newsXpress we are committed to helping our members from the back of the shop right through to the front. There is where the newsXpress offer is unique. We take a whole of business approach and bring energy and excitement into play to achieve the results many newsagents miss even though they may do some good buying.

Welcome Pelican Waters

newsXpress thrilled to welcome the new shop at Pelican Waters which had its Grand Opening last weekend. Karen Sutton from newsXpress was on hand to train the team and provide support for the opening.

Store openings are an important part of the newsXpress process. They help newsagents put the past behind them and focus on building a brighter future for the business around the principles of newsXpress. This is where our in-store training is important. It brings the owners and their team together and focuses on the newsXpress difference. Our experts are able to draw on considerable experience from other stores and offer a range of strategies around which the business can grow in the future.

Suppliers get behind our store openings by providing prizes, marketing material and other support. They are keen to help our members and our group. This is because a newsXpress store, for many suppliers, will deliver above industry average sales growth.

Karen is our national account manager, handling all newsXpress prospect inquiries. If you are interested in newsXpress, please make contact with Karen.

Promoting Dad’s Nuts

The newsXpress exclusive Dad’s Nuts promotion for Father’s Day is working very well across our stores. This exclusive product from Morish is popular with newsXpress customers and team members. In the Father’s Day gift bag there is a selection of tasty Morish product along with a discount coupon for a future purchase.

newsXpress is pleased to offer this and other exclusive deals for Father’s Day.

Changes at newsXpress

newsXpress CEO, Mark Nagy, is moving to a consulting role with the group following his recommendation to the Board that the company recruit a new CEO for the next phase of growth for this 150 member strong newsagency marketing group.

Mark Nagy served as CEO of newsXpress for three years from late 2005 and oversaw membership growth from 35 locations to in excess of 150 locations and employee growth from two to twelve.

“I have enjoyed my time with newsXpress and working with newsagents immensely” commented Mark Nagy, “I am passionate about newsXpress and feel that the next phase of its growth is best pursued with a new CEO. I am pleased to be able to continue to contribute to the group.”

“Mark Nagy’s contribution to newsXpress has been invaluable,” commented Graham Randall, founding Director of the newsXpress group, “driving us to look outside the traditional newsagency channel for revenue and business opportunities. We wish him well with his next career move.”

The company is undertaking a strategic review in advance of conducting a search for a new CEO to lead the group. Mark Nagy has been retained by the Board in a consulting role.

Father’s Day at newsXpress

In addition to actively promoting greeting cards this Father’s Day, newsXpress stores have a host of gift offers which are supported by exclusive in-store collateral. Our stores have material to promote albums, shredders, confectionery, bookends and desk sets – all items suitable for gifts for Dad on Father’s Day. The posters were provided free of charge. Each is printed in colour double sided and is A2 in size.

The products being promoted on the posters were selected by the newsXpress merchandise team for their suitability for the season and the margin they deliver.

Our mission is to help our members achieve a more valuable shopping basket. We are doing this through better buying, better in-store and out-of-store marketing andbringing new products which fit naturall with the typical newsXpress shopper.

As with all seasons, we will track the results of our offers and invite member feedback. This helps to continue to refine our offer.

Vacancy: WA Business Development Manager

Expansion within newsXpress has opened an opportunity an energetic and appropriately skilled person to join us in Western Australia in a new business development role we have created.

If you have good small business management skills and want to help newsagents grow their businesses, please email your resume to employment@newsXpress.com.au.

Vacancy: Queensland Business Development

One of the most important roles in newsXpress is that of Business Development Manager. BDMs, as they are known, work with our members, building their businesses around the newsXpress processes. They take a whole of business approach from the back room to the front counter, offering resources, guidance and training to improve business efficiency, drive traffic and extract a better financial return.

Expansion within newsXpress has opened an opportunity an energetic and appropriately skilled person to join our Queensland team in a new business development role we have created.

If you have good small business management skills and want to help newsagents grow their businesses, please email your resume to employment@newsXpress.com.au.

We announce ‘newsXpress Echuca’ …OPEN!

newsXpress Echuca is the latest Victorian regional member to rebrand and open. The Dye Family certainly engaged the community with a month of activity commencing with the sponsorship of a regional conference and culminating with the Gala Opening last Friday.

An alreadt great store has been further improved with the pro-active owners seeing strong growth in Hallmark cards and related product ranges, magazines and Canson Art. Their fun opening day was obvious to all as highlighted by the enthusiastic team. An ever popular sausage sizzle, promotional give-aways and the nromal newsXpress activities provided a great start.

Congratualtions to Steve, Liz, Andrea, Jo-anne and all the team at newsXpress Echuca!

newsXpress Bairnsdale opens its doors

newsXpress Bairnsdale opened under the newsXpress brand on Saturday and everyone came to town.

Promotions giving away free petrol, Accomodation, Show Bags, Lucky Dips etc were supported by Hallmark Forever Friends Bear, Coco the Clown (How do they make motorbikes out of Balloons?) and a lovely chamber ensemble of local musicians filled in a great day that could not even be marred by the cold, wind and rain!

Many people entered the store for the first time and were eager to come back again. This positive feeling was only strengthened thanks tothe local Lions club and the 300 + delicious sausages they gave away out the front of the store.

newsXpress Bairnsdale proprietors Gina and Taz epitomise the newsXpress mantra. As new members, their particiaption is strong and they are subsequently reaping the rewards for their efforts!

Congratualtions on a great day!

GREETING CARD SALES GROWING AT SEYMOUR

Vaughan Lawrence and the team at newsXpress Seymour have grown card sales by 38% since switching to Hallmark Cards. Yes they made some changes by bringing the cards to the front of the store which has also helped, but the stunning growth is mainly attributed to the new range of cards. The added promotions from the Hallmark Alliance Program which is supplied have also been a key contributor to this stunning growth with the store recently giving away a Giant 36″ Forever Friends bear as a part of the promotion.

They cant wait to see the growth at Fathers Day!

Imagine the growth when newsXpress Seymour gets a shop fit which is planned for the future.

ACP Connections Conference is ‘Bloody Fantastic!’

The 8th Annual ACP Connections Conference and Awards ceremony was held at the majestic Park Hyatt in Melbourne yesterday to much acclaim with newsXpress again stealing the limelight from the gracious hosts.

With a conference theme of ABC – (Attitude, Balance, Collaboration) it indeed seemed as simple as 1,2,3 to Warrick and Jo Hosking from newsXpress Gympie who brought the evening’s festivities to a crescendo and the raucous crowd to their feat with the announcement of their momentous victory in the prestigoius ‘Newsagent of the Year’ title.

The ACP Connections website outlines the highest honour they annually bestow upon a worthy Newsagent as: A recognition of all-round excellence and sales growth. Furthermore the winner shall exhibit ‘best practice’ principles across all areas of their operation, including business planning, technology, store presentation, category management, marketing and promotions, customer service and staff training.

This guideline describes Warrick and Jo to a tee, but doesn’t take into account the infectious enthusiasm and generous brand spruiking that is ingranied to their personalities. They are truly the most worthy of winners and these additional character traits consolidated their back to back victory.

Not to be over looked amongst the hysteria that was the main event was the meritoriuos performance of Philip and Deborah Kobelt from newsXpress Parap who were rightfully acknowledged as Runners-Up. Their commitment to the connections program and unwavering pursuit of innovation in the promotion and merchandise of ACP titles capped a very successful newsXpress night.

Happy newsXpressers:

From back left – Mark & Shelley Petersen, Geoff Hilder, Stephen & Liz Dye, Paul & Maureen Blunden, Ron Thorpe, Mark Nagy, Debbie Kobelt.

Middle Row – Karen Sutton, Fiona & Adrian Matthews

Front Row – Ahn Do (Conference MC and Comedian), Scott Day, Warrick Hosking, Paul Martin, Jarrod Black, Ben Kay, Graham Randall, and Philip Kobelt

GALA OPENING WEEKEND

newsXpress wishes to congratulate Jo, Stephen, Liz, Andrea and all the team at newsXpress Echuca on their Store Opening today!

And the celebration continues tomorrow as David and Gina Brakey and the team at newsXpress Bairnsdale enjoy their offical Gala Opening.

Leveraging mass media promotions

newsXpress Beechworth were already great business operators and entrepreneurs before they joined newsXpress as showcased by their multiple ‘Newsagent of the Year’ accolades.

However since joining the newsXpress group which prides itself on attracting, nurturing and challenging the ‘Best of the Best’, they have taken their performance to a new level!

The innovative and high performing HOT ink! sub-brand has been strongly embraced by Tracy, Vaughan and their team and as the photos below show they have tied the Olympic theme of the HOT ink! 8 event into another push on home and office printers.

Dubbing the iconic front of the store their “Green & Gold Window”, Tracy and team have highlighted the promotional product using some simple yet highly effective Olympic visual marketing materials.