Ink and toner offer success

frank_hotink2.JPGWith 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

wauchope.JPGThe 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

jamison2.JPGnewsXpress 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.

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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

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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.
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Customers spoilt for choice with newsXpress Back to School catalogues

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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

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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.

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

Back to School specialists – newsXpress Chippandall’s

The old saying ‘bigger is better’ certainly rings true in Bundaberg. Peter Heaps who owns the two newsXpress Chippandall’s stores knows the value of marketing his business, and how! Five rotating television ads and a distribution of 50,000 catalogues are part of the answer as to why he is GNS’ biggest stationery customer.
Watch the ads carefully and pick up on the features:
* Strong representation of the business name using a catchy slogan “slip into Chippy’s”

* Background use of the newsXpress jingle – linking all ad campaigns together

* Presentation of traditional and technology products to advertise a point of difference

* A great customer competition with a highly desirable large screen plasma TV as the prize.

Hallmark Christmas Merchandising at newsXpress Melton

newsXpress Melton have cleverly utilised their Hallmark Alliance marketing materials along with selected gift lines to create a visually stunning display in their giant exposed front window. Situated in a High St location they rely on attracting new customers through external marketing including how they present themselves as a business.
Representing your business with well executed seasonal displays is more likely to be successful than maintaining a standard facadeMelton & G Park 001 v2.jpg

Knowing your business – newsXpress Station Square

It is refreshing to meet small business owners and newsagents in particular who understand the need to spend money on marketing in order to build their business. With so much competition for the consumer dollar nowadays a targeted and varied local area marketing strategy can often be the difference between flourishing or perishing.
Ian Hargreaves from newsXpress Station Square, Maryborough has wholly embraced this program with his enthusiasm for promoting his new consumable ink and technology category along with old staples like Back to School.
His BTS television ad is linked below this article and is a fine example of the newsXpress brand including the clever cross-promotion of the unique newsXpress Magazine Club Card.

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Local Area Marketing – Television in Rockhampton

Ashley Lynch, manager at newsXpress Rockhampton has just completed twelve months worth of ads with Channel 7 in the local area culminating with this Christmas ad.
Due to the success of the ad campaign and his strong network contacts Ashley has co-ordinated five newsXpress stores to join him in producing event specific advertisements for the newsXpress group.
This is another strength of the newsXpress brand that several stores in a local area can join together to share the costs and reap the benefits of a larger scale marketing promotion than they would be able to afford or facilitate on their own.

See the newsXpress Rockhampton ad here…

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If newsagents are expensive…?

With the newsXpress HOT ink! #4 flyer in the marketplace for six weeks already it is refreshing to see major retailers still struggling to match the great prices.
The HP #21 Black & #22 Colour Ink Cartridge Combo Pack listed at $40.55 in the HOT ink! flyer is also featured in the current Officeworks “Christmas with a difference” catalogue for the value pack savings price of $47.95!

Many other advertised products have had to drastically slash the RRP to come in underneath the HOT ink! prices. Members have reported this is apparent at not just Officeworks, but BIG W, Harvey Norman and others.

Heartwarming stories still a feature at newsXpress

newsXpress Garbutt in Townsville sold the second division prize in last week’s Powerball draw. A brand new shopfit at the Garbutt store last Christmas has had it’s desired effect diminished due to a tardy renovation job on the centre.However this has done nothing to lessen the pride with which owners Steve and Alana Payne recalled their customers lucky day.
A 40 year old bachelor who looks after his ailing mother is now $62,000 wealthier, and when he came in to check his ticket Alana thought he was going to faint with joy! A great story! The streamers and balloons are going up today and they plan to share the story in their local area with a newsletter feature.

HP combo 27/28 $46.95

For a great price on genuine HP ink, this combo pack of HP 27 and HP28 ink is excellent value. $46.95 including GST is all you’ll have to par at a participating newsXpress location. They are listed on the Hot Ink website.