newsXpress, the premier marketing group for Australian newsagents, has announced the appointment of Chris Hicks as the newsXpress retail groups National Property Manager.
NSW/ACT goes ‘Back to School’ at newsXpress
With a strong newsXpress member base now pushing 30 in NSW and the ACT any large scale promotion is beginning to make an impression in Australia’s largest market.
Back to School is being promoted with great intensity by major retailers such as Big W, Officeworks, even Woolworths and The Good Guys. Small businesses such as newsagents have a magnificent opportunity to compete by utilising the expansive media campaigns and delivering exceptional service, convenience and competitive prices.
The NSW/ACT members have participated in two BTS themed catalogues during this period and called on their vast experience to deliver some outstanding results. See below for the unique successes and strategies used by individual stores.
Above Left: newsXpress Woden presented a wide range of notebooks in different colours, sizes and price to satisfy even the most discerning customer.
Above Right: newsXpress Bondi Eastgate took the opportunity of breaching the lease line to stock a well presented trestle table with low price high turnover lines. This acted as a beacon to attract customers to the store.
Above Left: newsXpress Castle Towers create a massive out post each season filling the are with great product and low prices. They also have a personalised newsXpress Castle Towers BTS banner made up for further visibility
Above Right: newsXpress Goulburn have had an all encompassing pen stand specially commissioned and it is central to their BTS efforts. Containing every pen type studious types would ever need and great signage.
Above Left: newsXpress Scott’s Lismore have celebrated their name change with a renewed vigour in becoming the leading newsagent in town. This compelling newspaper ad is part of a strategy they feel will grow their business results to meet their output.
Above Right: newsXpress Shellharbour City clearly advertise their intentions to customers and passers-by with this visually inviting signage consisting of newsXpress seasonal posters and the actual pages of the BTS catalogue.
Above Left: newsXpress Orange depict a busy scene with customers busily selecting product to purchase and team members tidying and refilling the large BTS display at the front of the store.
Above Right: newsXpress Jamison transform the front desk into a BTS destination with signage and product in an easily accessible location.
Above Left: newsXpress Carr’s Armidale compliment their Hallmark Alliance Marketing materials with the newsXpress posters (seen around the pillars). The effect is to draw the customer’s attention to the cleverly conceived display stand housing seasonal cards and add-ons including gift bags and wrap.
Above Right: newsXpress Macarthur is right into ‘Back to School’, already this year they are 100% up compared to last year. Notice the great location for their outpost? their neighbours are Best & Less and Lowes, which means their customers can purchase all their needs at one location.
Back to School branding at newsXpress Sarina
Mark & Shelley Petersen at newsXpress Sarina are always looking for new ways to market their business and has stumbled across a winner this BTS season.
Mark sourced the pictured BTS box from overseas and in conjunction with a couple of fellow newsXpress members imported a large quantity into Australia.
newsXpress Sarina team members with the BTS boxes
The box itself is 430 x 305 x 250 (LxWxH) and is the perfect size to fill BTS book orders. The proactive members are constantly searching for new and improved methods to sell their business to a new customer base and this box which features the store name and logo on all four sides is one of the better ones.
newsXpress Sarina team member Felicity gives her approval!
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.
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.
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.
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.