newsXpress Blog

Hallmark recognition for hardworking newsXpress Windsor

newsXpress Windsor have received the fantastic news that they will be promoted into a higher rebate classification in their Hallmark account. This has occurred due to the hard work of Kam and his team to promote the brand through cards, gift & wrap and an increase in sales. A greater emphasis on merchandising, add on sales and range has led Hallmark to recognise these results and provide backdated rebates through 2007.

The ability to work closely with key account managers and the ever present incentive to improve your return has proved an on-going win/win relationship for newsXpress and Hallmark.

Kam Wong pictured with Karen Sutton at newsXpress Windsor.

HOT ink! sizzles at newsXpress Gympie

Never to do things by halves, Warrick Hosking at newsXpress Gympie has commissioned a massive HOT ink! sign to be hung below his main store branding outside his shop.

This type of pro-activity has resulted in Gympie’s sales increasing from virtually nothing to a potential $80,000 for the year. Embrace technology and it will work for you.

Valentine’s Day at newsXpress

With two catchphrases in use this Valentine’s Day:

Love is a gift! &
Steal a Kiss!

newsXpress members have been given greater freedom to create a promotion that is traditional or a little bit cheeky as per the marketing materials provided. Below are a cross section of store displays across the network:

newsXpress Noosaville are using the ‘Steal a Kiss’ floor decals to direct traffic to their Valentine’s Day display which contains cards, gifts & confectionery.

newsXpress Caboolture have introduced simple cane baskets into their merchandising to better display their wide range of Valentine’s Day themed plush.

newsXpress Toowong are strongly promoting the Valentine’s day range of the Hallmark classic Wellington Bear. The newsXpress posters in the background complete the scene.

newsXpress Castle Towers maximise their exposure by setting up camp in a prominent outpost position in their centre. The use of sell-able product as part of the merchandising is most effective.

newsXpress appoints Stationery Category Manager

newsXpress are pleased to announce the appointment of Jeff Walsh as the newsXpress Retail Groups National Stationery Category Manager.

Jeff has over 30 years experience in the stationery field in both the retail and commercial wholesale sectors. He is already well known to newsXpress members as the Queensland State Manager for Stationers Supply and will use this relationship to drive sales throughout the group.

“We see a gap in the stationery market for newsagents” said Graham Randall, founding Director of newsXpress “and the appointment of Jeff to the role of National Category Manager is a means for us to deliver on this opportunity to our members”.

Jeff will begin with newsXpress on the 1st of March and be stationed in the Brisbane support office. He will report directly to Keith Sonerson, National Merchandise Manager.

$1,000,000 reasons to celebrate at newsXpress Coles Upper Coomera

A NSW man in his 30’s was the lucky winner of the $1,000,000 jackpot sold at newsXpress Coles Upper Coomera in the Saturday Gold Lotto draw on the weekend.

Owner Wayne Case noted this was the third $1,000,000 plus victory in his three years in charge of the newsagency.

newsXpress Coles Upper Coomera: Wayne & Angela

Surfing Life strike the right chord at newsXpress Salamander Bay

newsXpress Salamander Bay capture that elusive winning formula with the add on promotion to the new issue of Surfing Life.

Magazine publishers face an unenviable task to keep coming up with fresh and relevant ideas and promotions to continue selling their title and to attract new readers with each edition. According to one of our members, Surfing Life has nailed it with their January edition.

Fiona Matthews from newsXpress Salamander Bay has given kudos to Surfing Life magazine who released their current issue on Wednesday with an Australian flag branded with their masthead as the add-on gift.

Remembering back 12 months ago when Big Day out organisers banned the Australian flag from their event, who can forget the uproar it caused. (not to mention the sales increase of anything with the Australian flag on it)

“I’d like to think that the guys at Surfing Life saw this as a perfect opportunity for this Australia Day” mused Fiona.

“Likewise we saw the opportunity and immediately put the extra flags up in the shop. (Kudos again Surfing Life- providing the newsagencies with a few samples!) It goes without saying we sold out of all the magazines we had with the last one sold as a customer banged on the door as we were closing – ‘me mate said yous had them’ “.

newsXpress Salamander Bay honour a great Australia Day tradition at their store with staff dressing up in the local lifesaving clubs gear (Fingal Bay J ) which they provide to them in return for a donation to their club. They also set up red & yellow donation boxes on the day (the clubs colours) on the front counters for customers to donate their spare change over the weekend. Last year customers donated over $140.00.

Fiona continued “I’d like to believe that these sales themed days along with the “odd” seasons like Halloween & New Year (we did a roaring trade in balloons, hats, blowers and even New Year themed napkins – all from Balloon Agencies) set our store above & beyond the majors in our centre.

Whilst there is a commercial reality to consider these days, when I look at the happy faces of my staff enjoying themselves and customers are asking us what we are doing next, it makes you smile & think to yourself, days like these are why I love being a newsagent!”

newsxpress Rutherglen is embracing HOT ink!

Since joining newsXpress Jim O’Toole from newsXpress Rutherglen has swapped from newsink to HOT ink! With the superior brochures, marketing and supply chain offered by newsXpress, Jim has seen his sales go through the roof.

He is running down old Keytek stock and only going with genuine product. www.hotink.com.au

Valentine’s Day at newsXpress Scott’s Lismore

newsXpress Scott’s Lismore have gone all out to stamp themselves as the premier retailer in town.

Their Valentine’s Day set up is a great example of how they have gone about this. Giving the promotion prime real estate at the front and centre of the store. They are hoping this produces a good sales result and to show their initiative even further have introduced an opportunity for customers to win their money back with the purchase of any Hallmark Bear.

Australia Day at newsXpress Sarina

Patriotism is alive and well if you consider the outstanding support for Australia Day in the small Queensland township of Sarina.

Mark Petersen and his team gave out over 600 Australian flags and sold 50 flag caps and 36 shirts. Mark believes they would have sold more than three times this quantity if they had have promoted during the week and not just on Friday and Saturday.

Embracing the newsXpress/Hallmark Strategic Partnership

Since joining the newsXpress group and swapping card suppliers from John Sands to Hallmark, Jim O’Toole at newsXpress Rutherglen has seen his card sales go through the roof.

Jim was happy with Sands, but as a retailer it’s sales that count and the newsXpress/Hallmark partnership has certainly provided not only card sales but free entry to the Hallmark Alliance program which is paid for by his newsXpress membership.

The forever friends range by Hallmark is performing extraordinarily well and the newsXpress network of stores is experiencing phenomenal sales with this range.

Marketing is what drives sales and that’s what newsXpress and the Hallmark Alliance partnership does for newsXpress stores, turning newsagents into savvy retailers.

HOT ink! powering along at newsXpress Orange

Since leaving newsink, Paul Blunden’s ink and technology sales have sky rocketed. Not only is he selling more ink cartridges but his media, technology and allied stationery has gone up as a result. Not only is he cheaper than the majors the impact is lifting the traffic to the store.

Marketing is key to Paul and newsXpress Orange’s ink success. By embracing HOT ink! and driving his sales the whole team is confident in this ‘new money’ category and the store is reaping the rewards. www.hotink.com.au

Embracing gifts – newsXpress Orange

newsXpress stores are embracing giftware in a big way. Not only for the margin opportunities but for the point of difference it gives our network.

newsXpress Orange are showing the way. Quality gifts at great prices.

Turning newsagents into confident retailers that’s what newsXpress does for its members.

newsXpress Watergardens continues to innovate – new giftware tables

Not being content with the fit out of the store newsXpress Watergardens has invested for the future by adding some new giftware tables. These learning’s have come from outside the traditional newsagency business and preliminary results are very positive.

BACK TO SCHOOL

newsXpress Castle Towers ‘Back to School’ – No stress at newsXpress. Whilst most newsagents leave this to the majors newsXpress provides the marketing collateral to give you the confidence, the ideas and the customer draw to return ‘Back to School’ to the farm.

No stress at newsXpress!

Canson Art out-posting at newsXpress Watergardens

At the newsXpress laboratory at Watergardens in Victoria, we have taken our new Art partnership with canson to the next level. Out posting of Art product with a National brand draws customer attention and builds sales.

Here is a fantastic example of how the newsXpress network looks for new money positive revenue streams. The Canson brand born in Europe some 450 years ago allows the newsXpress stores to further accelerate new product innovation and bring new product to the market.

newsXpress Indooroopilly gets a perfect score in Mystery Shopping

newsXpress regularly mystery shops its network of stores country wide, and for the first time one of our members has come in with a perfect 100%. Congratulations to Brett and Ellen Deans from newsXpress Indooroopilly for setting the standard. Even better still they were mystery shopped whilst Brett & Ellen were on holidays. Shows that when high standards are instilled they are maintained.

newsXpress Gladstone Park

newsXpress Gladstone Park are proof that you can run two marketing campaigns at once. They are currently running the “no stress at newsXpress“ Back to School marketing in conjunction with the newsXpress-Hallmark Valentines Day seasonal marketing. Working multiple parts of the store at once is paying dividends for them with great sales across multiple categories.

Valentine’s Day Merchandising at newsXpress Watergardens

newsXpress Watergardens is approaching Valentines Day as most other retailers would with passion and vigor utilising gift ware that suits this season and embracing the support of the Hallmark-newsXpress strategic partnership.

Natural disaster brings out the best at newsXpress Emerald

The team at newsXpress Emerald have managed to keep their humour as their town has become waterlogged by the terrible rainfall in the central Queensland township.

Peter and Sally Murphy have been perfect members since joining the group in March, 2007. This setback will undoubtedly affect their business and life but with a smile on their face and the support of the group they will come back bigger and stronger.

Kam Wong pictured with Karen Sutton at newsXpress Windsor.

Ink & Toner at newsXpress Arana Hills, featured in this photo is the unique Cartridge Rescue recycling bin.

newsXpress Coles Upper Coomera: Wayne & Angela

The temporary newsXpress Emerald store in Andrew’s St.