newsXpress Blog

NSW/ACT Member Meeting

newsXpress hold regular member meetings in each state every two months. Late last year they initiated a regional meeting program to ensure the opportunity to attend and contribute to the network was maximised among its member group.

Early 2008 saw the first such meeting held in the ACT with Dominic De Marco and his team at newsXpress Jamison hosting the meeting and then resigning later in the evening to dinner.

Among the topics covered in the relatively open forum were:

Stationery strategies
HOT ink! Flyer #5 www.hotink.com.au
The newsXpress exclusive Canson Creative Centre and other art opportunities
Giftlines and recent experiences
The newsXpress obsession with magazines &
Valentine’s Day

newsXpress Dapto reaping the benefits

Danny & Milicia owners of newsXpress Dapto typify what newsXpress looks for in its newsagents.

They are new to the industry coming from a card and gift background. What they have done is taken the newsXpress IP and run with it. They participate in every newsXpress promotion and but doing this give newsXpress so much in return. They are card and gift specialists who have become stellar newsagents by listening, watching learning and by applying the newsXpress IP to drive great sales in their newsXpress store.

They are not held back by the past, instead they embrace the future. They have been retailers for over 17 years now, by taking their experience and combining it with the newsXpress solution they are beginning to typify the newsXpress newsagent who is now a progressive retailer embarking on the future and taking on the competition and winning.

Valentine’s Day at newsXpress

Valentine’s Day is traditionally one of the biggest promotions in the year for newsagents whose wide range of cards and gifts attract customers from near and far who wish to express their love to those in their lives.

newsXpress Forest Hill have created a display utilising the newsXpress and Hallmark marketing materials to wonderful effect in their front window and through the store. The giant Hallmark Forever Friends Bear is the prize in the Hallmark Alliance promotion. All newsXpress members receive free access to this program as part of their newsXpress membership.

Below is a feature picture from newsXpress Eumundi displaying the Valentine’s Day range of gifts from Chocolate Gems.

Hallmark US Retail Study Tour

Photo from the 2007 Hallmark Tour to North America – newsXpress stores have supported these study trips for the past 3 years, the (2007) newsXpress stores were:

Jarrod Black from newsXpress Northside Plaza,
Chris and Feroza McNamara newsXpress Robina,
Lyndal Lever newsXpress the Pines,
Ben Kay newsXpress Forest Hill,
Laura Fletcher Sophie Randall Forest Hill
Carmen Dunkley newsXpress Jimboomba, and
Graham Randall newsXpress Watergardens

With the learning’s from the seminars and retail visits newsXpress stores come back and implement what they have learnt which is one of the reasons the newsXpress group is recognised as the leaders in the industry. newsXpress representatives also
identify product in the US which is then brought in exclusively for the group. This study tour and the opportunities it presents for networking, information sharing and product identification is part of the reason why newsXpress entered a strategic partnership with Hallmark. The massive growth in sales proves the arrangement is mutually beneficial! The 2008 tour is planned for July and official invitations will be sent in the next month.

Pictured: Ron Thorpe, Graham Randall &David Hall

David is President of Hallmark Cards Personal Expression Group and grandson of J.C Hall founder of Hallmark Cards.

http://pressroom.hallmark.com/greetings-etc1-07.pdf

Luck’s a fortune at newsXpress

Never has a statement been proven true more often than in 2007, culminating with the Superdraw to end the year as customers from newsXpress Robina & newsXpress Windsor became instant millionaires.

Pictured are: Tony, Anastasia, Jayde, and Chris (newsXpress Robina)

The transition into 2008 has so far been just as prolific with the following stores all reporting big wins in the opening two weeks:

newsXpress Chippandall’s – $14, 055.65 in the 2nd of January Wednesday Gold Lotto draw;
newsXpress Dapto – $300,000 in the January 7th NSW Lotteries Draw;
newsXpress Nambour & newsXpress Pacific Pines – $72,598.50 in the January 10th Powerball draw; &
newsXpress Ashmore – $79,321.05 in the January 17th Powerball draw.

Pictured: Danny & Milicia – newsXpress Dapto have a history of selling first prizes in lotteries and Lotto, see the plaques in the background.

newsXpress Halloween – Xpress your Spooky side…

newsXpress support a retail Halloween promotion each year with great gusto. While detractors will claim this is an American tradition we choose to put our very own Australian slant on the event and celebrate the fun party aspect.

Sales of party supplies, costumes and confectionery are outstanding and customers get a genuine buzz from the theatre put on by all of our members.

A promotion can only be as successful as you make it and Halloween proves that 100% commitment achieves the results to make it all worthwhile.

See the You Tube video for a small taste of Halloween – newsXpress style!

newsXpress Salamander Bay ‘Gala Opening’

newsXpress Salamander Bay opened amid a flurry of fanfare on Halloween 2007. Fortunately the excitement and all of the fabulous preparation and execution by Fiona & Adrian Matthews and their team was captured on film and we are proud to now be able to share the video thanks to the newsXpress Blog and Youtube.

Since Salamander Bay have joined the team at newsXpress they have experienced an amazing sales increase by participating in exclusive promotions. HOT ink! saw an increase of 554% in volume and 361% (year on year Oct 06 vs Oct 07), an unexpected benefit of this was a flow on effect in other departments with Computer Accessories up 442% and Computer Labels up 106%.

Hot Stationery Deals also delivered an impressive 18% increase across the entire stationery department and even Halloween returned a profit!

newsXpress launches into 2008

The newsXpress Support Team gathered in Melbourne last week to launch 2008.

A renewed energy and focus on growing the member base and building the business of existing members has been made the clear direction. This is evidenced by the announcement of inaugural newsXpresser and Director, Graham Randall taking up the role of Director of Business Development. Graham’s experience and reputation will be invaluable with nurturing relationships and continuing to improve the industry.

From top right: Mark Nagy, Trent Shields, Ian Urquhart, Mark Fletcher, Graham Randall, Sonia Ruhland.

From bottom right: Roger Bortfield, Mary McNeil, Keith Sonerson, Karen Sutton, Lesley Bortfield, Michelle Caia.

New Year’s a sale opportunity taken at newsXpress

newsXpress Riverlink purchased a specially created NYE pack of product and created the display below.
With a varied and colorful range of necklaces, bracelets, lights, glowsticks and confetti this is an opportunity for all stores to capitalise on an easy sell to their customers.

Ink and toner offer success

With more newsXpress locations embracing our successful Hot Ink strategy, we are able to draw on a broad variety of success for almost any situation.

We have had several newsagent locations replace tobacco products from behind the counter with a bold ink and toner offering. The benefits are that ink can be advertised and tobacco cannot. This sees ink being used to draw traffic to the store whereas tobacco relies on leveraging off existing traffic.

newsXpress on Facebook

newsXpress team members are encouraged to join the newsXpress Facebook group. Already we have people from different newsXpress stores making contact with each other as a result of this group. By embracing online social sites like Facebook, people working across the newsXpress network of stores are able to share stories, ideas and the newsXpress culture more easily.

At newsXpress we recognise that websites like Facebook have changed the way we interact forever. Part of our role is to help our members respond to these changes and the impact they will have on their local community focused newsagencies.

Ho Ho Ho lives on at Wauchope

The team at newsXpress Wauchope embraced Christmas and dismissed the ho ho ho political correctness.

Christmas is a traditional season at newsXpress and Sandi Burke and her team from newsXpress are living proof that the tradition of Santa and HO HO HO lives on. They had fun. Their customers had fun the spirit of Christmas is as strong as ever.

At newsXpress, as well as helping our members grow their businesses, we help them enjoy themselves more.

Hallmark / newsXpress alliance drives success

newsXpress newsagencies right across Australia have has a stunning Christmas as a result of an exclusive relationship with Hallmark Cards. newsXpress has ensured that all of its stores received premium promotional material to enable their stores to be well dressed and thereby drive card and wrap sales. The photo shows the results of the newsXpress / Hallmark relationship at Jamison in the ACT. It is a bold display such as this which drives sales – this has to be the outcome of every promotional activity in retail.

Making Calendars work

Newsagents who joined calendarXpress, a subsidiary of newsXpress are reaping good rewards today as they process product markdowns and follow the strategy laid out by the group. While many stores have sold out, they have had access to excellent backup stock at greatly reduced prices – to ensure success through the post Christmas sales period. calendarXpress has supported this with marketing collateral and other support materials to ensure the best possible outcome.

Too many newsagents take calendars from magazine distributors and others and make too little a return given the floorspace and labour investment. Our goal is to maximise this return by implementing some simple changes.

Early feedback from calendarXpress stores is that this year has been a wonderful success.

‘Mr Hallmark’ Ron Thorpe announces his retirement

Ron Thorpe the man affectionately known as Australia’s own ‘Mr Hallmark’ throughout his tenure has announced his retirement.

Ron was an integral member of the team who negotiated the Hallmark/newsXpress strategic partnership and will remain a staunch newsXpress supporter. Ron’s dedication and loyalty to the newsagency industry is unsurpassed. Over his 40 years at Hallmark has made many friends and helped many newsagents.

Ron enjoys a game of golf, so don’t hesitate to invite him up for a game now he has more time on his hands.

We wish Ron and his wife Gay all the best in his well deserved retirement.

'Mr Hallmark' Ron Thorpe.JPG

Larger than life Ron Thorpe pictured here with newsXpress Business Development Manager, Karen Sutton.

Do you newsXpress?

If you didn’t before you surely will now!

On behalf of the team at newsXpress we wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Thanks to Justin Randall for the video.

newsXpress Deception Bay take a leaf out of Myer’s Christmas Book

For generations of children Christmas was about the anticipation of Father Christmas, the end of the school year and a trip to the city to admire the Myer windows.

However a new attraction is competing with Myer this year. newsXpress Deception Bay have created their own version in their large front windows, filling them with toys, gifts and merriment. Congratulations to Brett & Alexandra Carey and their team for the magical video.

$30million Superdraw

Eumundi - Superdraw Dec07_1.jpg

Nothing captures the imagination like a lottery jackpot and Manni Ribeiro and his team at newsXpress Eumundi have provided the perfect environment for customers to dream that dream.
Golden Casket (the Queensland lottery governing body) have provided some of the marketing materials but the ingenuity and creativity of this pro-active newsagent has made it truly a winning destination.
Eumundi - Superdraw Dec07_2.jpg

Eumundi - Superdraw Dec07_4.jpg

Customers spoilt for choice with newsXpress Back to School catalogues

bts - two pics v2.jpg

newsXpress members have the option of participating in two separate catalogues promotions this ‘Back to School’ season. This is another point of difference offered to members who are free to select which document best represents their local market or business goals.
Some stores are even participating in both events to maximise sales and really compete with others in this space.

newsXpress explains the Good and Bad of retail at Christmas

As part of their membership to newsXpress, various seasonal marketing materials are provided to store’s. This Christmas two separate T-Shirt designs were produced and distributed.
HO HO HO linked in with the traditional catch cry of Santa Claus while BAH HUMBUG was a nod to another famous Christmas character Ebeneezer Scrooge.
Both shirts could be considered a little risque due to current political correctness trends however have been warmly embraced by team members and customers alike who appreciate they are part of the difference at newsXpress.
Retail can be a tough gig, especially around Christmas, but it can also be a lot of fun!!! The HO HO HO and BAH HUMBUG are our representation of the retail environment.

Thank you to newsXpress Buderim (top) and newsXpress Deception Bay team members for modeling the shirts.