Tag: Royal Australian Mint

Coins and Pokémon: the categories quietly outgrowing everything else in our network

Collectibles was the fastest growing category in our latest benchmark study of 32 newsXpress member shops, covering January to May 2026. If you run an independent retail business and you are not paying attention to this space, the numbers below should change that.

Coins first. 21 of the 32 shops reported coin product sales. Revenue for the five months ranged from under $1,000 to more than $46,000 per shop. Coin collecting is high margin, and in most regional and suburban locations it has almost no serious competition. Few shops in our channel have developed it properly. The ones that have are being rewarded.

Trading cards are the other standout. Eight shops reported Pokémon or trading card revenue. The largest operation generated $58,852 in five months from 1,819 units. Several shops more than doubled their trading card revenue year on year. Average unit prices ran from $11 to $39, reflecting a healthy mix of single packs through to premium box releases.

Why do these categories work so well for shops like ours?

  • Collectors return. A coin or card customer visits regularly, often weekly, and buys every time.
  • Price comparison is hard. Limited releases and allocation-based supply mean you are not competing with a supermarket catalogue.
  • The demographic is gold. Young adults and families, exactly the customers most newsagencies and gift shops struggle to attract.

newsXpress members get more than this analysis. We have direct relationships in the coin space, including with the Royal Australian Mint, and we guide members on release calendars, allocation, display and pricing. For trading cards, we share what the network data says about pack mix and sell-through, so a member entering the category does not learn by expensive trial and error.

All of that is included in membership. No consulting fees, no add-on charges.

One shop in our network is on track for over $100,000 a year in trading cards alone. That business did not exist in that shop three years ago. The opportunity is real, it is documented in our data, and we will help any member chase it.

The beauty of both these categories is that they work well in regional and rural settings as these shoppers love to travel to purchase these beloved products.

Collectible coins — a category most newsagents have not tried yet

There is a shopper segment walking past your store, or possibly already walking in, that most newsagents have never tried to reach. Coin collectors are a distinct audience — often methodical, brand-loyal, and willing to spend on the right product.

newsXpress holds exclusive retail partnerships with the Royal Australian Mint, The Perth Mint, the New Zealand Mint, the British Mint, and New Zealand Post. No other newsagency group in Australia has these relationships. For newsXpress members, that means access to high-margin collectible product that competitors simply cannot stock.

The category works because it brings in new foot traffic. Coin collectors are not always greeting card buyers or gift shoppers. They come in specifically for the coins. But while they are there, they browse. Members who have introduced the category consistently report that it expands their customer base rather than cannibalising existing sales.

The entry point does not need to be large. A dedicated display of Royal Australian Mint product, positioned well, is enough to start. newsXpress uses Mint data to help members understand the collector audience in their area and tailor their range accordingly.

One member went from selling no coins at all to achieving $50,000 a year in coin revenue. That figure is not typical of every store, but it illustrates the ceiling when the category is taken seriously. newsXpress has also developed and released its own exclusive limited-edition collectible coins — the first release sold out.

newsXpress helps with access to exclusive product, in-store marketing, shopper education and more to help our members thrive with this opportunity of growth for Newsagency businesses.

What we offer is product access supported by knowledge and backed by in-store activation opportunities that we have seen work right across Australia.

If your store relies heavily on newspapers, lottery, and stationery, this is a category worth examining. The margin is strong, the audience is distinct, and the products are not available through standard newsagency supplier channels.

newsXpress is a unique service form local indie retailers. We;’re not a newsagency marketing group, not at all.

…

newsXpress supports small local independent retailers to thrive. Find out more at help@newsxpress.com.au.

Why newsXpress is the best marketing group for newsagents who want to thrive

newsXpress is not a franchise. There are no mandatory requirements, no turnover-based fees, and no locked-in obligations. Membership costs $295 a month for your first store. Additional stores you own cost nothing.

That fee buys you access to a team of people who have owned newsagencies, managed retail floors, and spent years analysing real store data. The advice is evidence-based. It is not shaped by supplier preference or group politics.

A few things set newsXpress apart from any other group in the market.

Seasonal Edge is exclusive. Each major retail season, newsXpress funds a prize pack worth $350 or more for every member store, provides the in-store and digital marketing collateral, and runs the promotion at zero cost to the member. Some stores have reported a 20% lift in greeting card sales from this program alone. No other group does this.

The Mint relationships are exclusive. newsXpress is the only marketing group in Australia with access to the Royal Australian Mint, the Perth Mint, the New Zealand Mint, the British Mint, and New Zealand Post. Members who have leaned into coins have gone from selling none to generating $50,000 a year in revenue. These are supplier relationships you cannot access through any other group.

The card performance analysis program uses proprietary data to show you which pockets are earning their space and which are not. Members who have acted on the recommendations have recorded revenue increases of 33%, 50%, and in one case 70% — without additional capital investment.

The AI toolkit — 19 prompts built specifically for newsagency retail decisions — is live now and free to all members. newsXpress has been working in this space for over two years. These are not generic business prompts. They are built around the decisions newsagents actually face.

The group also runs its own physical shops and four online businesses, including one that turned over $2 million last year. The advice comes from running retail, not reading about it. This helps it offer practical and valuable advice from the lived experiences.

If you want a group that will be direct with you, move fast on trends, and actively work to make your business more valuable — talk to Michael Elvey on 0400 331 055 or Mark Fletcher on 0418 321 338.

Unlocking the Multi-Million Dollar Opportunity in Collectible Numismatics

In a competitive retail marketplace, finding a truly unique product category that is entirely shielded from standard supermarket competition is incredibly rare. Most independent retailers are constantly searching for distinct lines that can attract passionate, high-spending customers.

One of the most lucrative and historically proven opportunities for main street retail lies within the collectible coin and numismatic sector. This specialised market represents millions of dollars in annual consumer spending across Australia, yet it remains completely inaccessible to the vast majority of traditional marketing groups.

newsXpress stands as the solitary marketing group operating actively within this high-value coin space. Through deep corporate relationships, we partner exclusively with premier institutions, including The Royal Australian Mint, The Perth Mint, the New Zealand Mint, the British Mint, and the New Zealand Post Office.

This exclusive network gives our members direct access to highly sought-after, limited-edition releases. Furthermore, we now produce our own proprietary, limited-edition collectible coins through these official mint channels, with our introductory coin releases completely selling out within exceptionally rapid timeframes.

The financial impact of this relationship on individual store performance is profound. We have witnessed numerous member stores transition from stocking zero coins to generating over fifty thousand dollars in specialised annual revenue. Collectible coins possess an extraordinary capacity to attract entirely new demographics to your business.

By leveraging official mint data, we help members understand coin collector behaviours. This knowledge allows retailers to convert traditional agency customers—such as daily newspaper buyers or lottery players—into dedicated, high-value numismatic collectors who eagerly await each new scheduled release.

Succeeding in this premium category does not require prior specialised knowledge or technical expertise . newsXpress guides each member business through structured training modules, direct category advice, engaging social media assets, and targeted in-store tactical guidance. Popular culture releases, such as themed Supercars coins or custom AC/DC sets, create immediate foot traffic and reliable cash flow. By introducing an exclusive, high-margin product range that shoppers cannot find in neighbouring businesses, your store builds long-term commercial relevance and drives consistent bottom-line profit.

Coin collectors are valuable shoppers we are grateful to have helped our retail community find.