Development of a new website for newsXpress is well under way. The new site will be a complete replacement of the current newsXpress website. It will deliver new consumer and member functionality as well as present a bright and exciting new face for newsXpress.

The new site will be released in stages with the full functionality we intend for the site not being completely released until the first quarter of next year. There are some exciting innovations coming which will help newsXpress newsagents continue to lead the newsagent channel in year on year same store growth.

We took a moment during the newsXpress conference last week top get a photo of our team. It is appropriate that we are standing in front of the slide showing the suppliers who contributed to make the conference the success it was.

Missing is Michelle Caia – our calendars and gifts expert – and Chris Hicks – our leasing consultant.

An important aspect of the National newsXpress Conference last week on the Gold Coast was the Show and Tell presentations from members. Five members spoke about specific experiences relating back to their newsXpress involvement. These presentations included:

Jim Carlile from newsXpress Buderim speaking about the importance of alignment of all in the group behind the brand and the brands it supports. Jim spoke about his experience with Terry White Chemists and how alignment was successfully used to strengthen that group and its members into a successful retail group.

Nici Hilder spoke about how they grew card and related sales at newsXpress Castle Towers, taking us through through several major transitions of their business to the showpiece newsagency her family has today at the Castle Towers centre in NSW. Nici shared some important learnings applicable to everyone.

Jarryd Moore spoke – connecting with the about how to communicate with Gen. Y. he connected with the keynote address from Peter Sheehan. Jarryd spoke from personal experience is methods which help improve communication between employers and Gey Y employees including mobile phones, email, websites and even My Space.

A highlight of the last day of the newsXpress National Conference was the presentation by Zoe Petrou (pictured left) and Jane Peterson-McIllhatton  from Pacific Magazines to newsXpress with the completed Better Homes and Gardens painting. This painting was completed over the course of the conference by attendees and the Pacific magazine team. This painting will be proudly displayed on the wall at our Head Office and remind us of our first conference.

newsXpress, the premier marketing group for Australian newsagents, today announced further expansion with the appointment Belinda Adshead to a newly created role as Business Development Manager.

Belinda brings more than five years of practical newsagency experience to this new role, most recently with newsXpress Robina on the Gold Coast where she managed the stationery department for two thriving retail outlets.

The Business Development Manager role is unique to newsXpress and a key reason newsXpress members perform so well so well in key product categories.

“Belinda brings the kind of hand-on experience we need to serve our growing Queensland member base.” said Graham Randall, founding Director of newsXpress. “her passion for newsagencies and the newsXpress mission is an exciting and welcome addition to our team”.

newsXpress Business Development Managers work very closely with newsXpress members in their businesses on newsXpress exclusive strategies. It is through this in-the-field connection with its members that newsXpress is able to outperform other marketing groups.

Belinda will work with newsXpress full time out of the company’s Brisbane office.

It is all hands on desk as we make final preparations for our inaugural newsXpress conference here at Conrad Juptiers Casino on the Gold Coast.  While the golfers are out enjoying the fine Gold Coast weather, others are here at conference headquarters preparing gift bags and other materials for attendees. 

The fun starts tonight with a dinner and relaxing social evening at a secret venue.  We have been careful to balance the agenda to ensure that it is a learning and battery-recharge experience.  Owning and operating a newsagency is a challenge and establishing a work-life balance can be difficult.  Hence the inclusion of relaxation opportunities for newsXpress members to take a break.

newsXpress members and our entire team are preparing to gather at the Gold Coast from tomorrow for our inaugural national conference.  Tomorrow kicks off with a golf day at the Robina Woods course followed by an evening event at a secret destination.

The conference proper begins Thursday with an excellent range of speakers including our keynote from the world renowned Peter Sheehan from New Zealand.  The two days are packed with value oriented presentations and workshops, ensuring that all participants will leave with innovations to implement.

Accompanying the conference is a full trade display where newsXpress preferred suppliers offer products and terms exclusive to newsXpress.

The newsXpress team met for most of yesterday in Melbourne to discuss the next phase of our development and make final plans for our national conference on the Gold Coast next week. We took the opportunity to get a group photo. Take a look at the team committed to helping newsagents get the best out of their businesses:

From left to right, front to back: Ian Urquhart, Michelle Caia, Paul Waite, Karen Sutton, Lesly Bortfield, Belinda Adshead, Ben Kay, Trent Shields, Jeff Walsh, Ron Thorpe, Roger Bortfield, Graham Randall, Mark Fletcher and Sonia Ruhland.

newsXpress thrilled to welcome the new shop at Pelican Waters which had its Grand Opening last weekend. Karen Sutton from newsXpress was on hand to train the team and provide support for the opening.

Store openings are an important part of the newsXpress process. They help newsagents put the past behind them and focus on building a brighter future for the business around the principles of newsXpress. This is where our in-store training is important.  It brings the owners and their team together and focuses on the newsXpress difference.  Our experts are able to draw on considerable experience from other stores and offer a range of strategies around which the business can grow in the future.

Suppliers get behind our store openings by providing prizes, marketing material and other support. They are keen to help our members and our group. This is because a newsXpress store, for many suppliers, will deliver above industry average sales growth.

Karen is our national account manager, handling all newsXpress prospect inquiries. If you are interested in newsXpress, please make contact with Karen.

newsXpress CEO, Mark Nagy, is moving to a consulting role with the group following his recommendation to the Board that the company recruit a new CEO for the next phase of growth for this 150 member strong newsagency marketing group.

Mark Nagy served as CEO of newsXpress for three years from late 2005 and oversaw membership growth from 35 locations to in excess of 150 locations and employee growth from two to twelve.

“I have enjoyed my time with newsXpress and working with newsagents immensely” commented Mark Nagy, “I am passionate about newsXpress and feel that the next phase of its growth is best pursued with a new CEO. I am pleased to be able to continue to contribute to the group.”

“Mark Nagy’s contribution to newsXpress has been invaluable,” commented Graham Randall, founding Director of the newsXpress group, “driving us to look outside the traditional newsagency channel for revenue and business opportunities.  We wish him well with his next career move.”

The company is undertaking a strategic review in advance of conducting a search for a new CEO to lead the group.  Mark Nagy has been retained by the Board in a consulting role.

Expansion within newsXpress has opened an opportunity an energetic and appropriately skilled person to join us in Western Australia in a new business development role we have created.

If you have good small business management skills and want to help newsagents grow their businesses, please email your resume to employment@newsXpress.com.au.

One of the most important roles in newsXpress is that of Business Development Manager. BDMs, as they are known, work with our members, building their businesses around the newsXpress processes. They take a whole of business approach from the back room to the front counter, offering resources, guidance and training to improve business efficiency, drive traffic and extract a better financial return.

Expansion within newsXpress has opened an opportunity an energetic and appropriately skilled person to join our Queensland team in a new business development role we have created.

If you have good small business management skills and want to help newsagents grow their businesses, please email your resume to employment@newsXpress.com.au.

The 8th Annual ACP Connections Conference and Awards ceremony was held at the majestic Park Hyatt in Melbourne yesterday to much acclaim with newsXpress again stealing the limelight from the gracious hosts.

With a conference theme of ABC – (Attitude, Balance, Collaboration) it indeed seemed as simple as 1,2,3 to Warrick and Jo Hosking from newsXpress Gympie who brought the evening’s festivities to a crescendo and the raucous crowd to their feat with the announcement of their momentous victory in the prestigoius ‘Newsagent of the Year’ title.

The ACP Connections website outlines the highest honour they annually bestow upon a worthy Newsagent as:  A recognition of all-round excellence and sales growth. Furthermore the winner shall exhibit ‘best practice’ principles across all areas of their operation, including business planning, technology, store presentation, category management, marketing and promotions, customer service and staff training. 

This guideline describes Warrick and Jo to a tee, but doesn’t take into account the infectious enthusiasm and generous brand spruiking that is ingranied to their personalities. They are truly the most worthy of winners and these additional character traits consolidated their back to back victory.

Not to be over looked amongst the hysteria that was the main event was the meritoriuos performance of Philip and Deborah Kobelt from newsXpress Parap who were rightfully acknowledged as Runners-Up. Their commitment to the connections program and unwavering pursuit of innovation in the promotion and merchandise of ACP titles capped a very successful newsXpress night.

Happy newsXpressers:

From back left – Mark & Shelley Petersen, Geoff Hilder, Stephen & Liz Dye, Paul & Maureen Blunden, Ron Thorpe, Mark Nagy, Debbie Kobelt.

Middle Row – Karen Sutton, Fiona & Adrian Matthews

Front Row – Ahn Do (Conference MC and Comedian), Scott Day, Warrick Hosking, Paul Martin, Jarrod Black, Ben Kay, Graham Randall, and Philip Kobelt

newsXpress wishes to congratulate Jo, Stephen, Liz, Andrea and all the team at newsXpress Echuca on their Store Opening today!

And the celebration continues tomorrow as David and Gina Brakey and the team at newsXpress Bairnsdale enjoy their offical Gala Opening.

newsXpress would like to proudly thank the sponsors of their upcoming National Conference on the Gold Coast.

newsXpress Woden joined newsXpress last November and in that time have gone through some massive changes in their business.

Proprietors Anthony and Nik McCormack firstly established uniform and customer service changes while embracing newsXpress supplier arrangements and promotions. Then last week the transformation was complete with an impressive newsXpress influenced shop fit.

The proud entrepreneurs are pictured below with their adorable kids.

Newsagents relying on “old money revenue” streams may be experiencing a sharp decline in sales as consumer confidence dips.

newsXpress continues to lead the market with innovative new money drivers. None better than our HOT ink! program. It’s a complete marketing and merchandise strategy which continues to evolve.

Proprietors within the group continue to come forward with amazing stories.

“I can’t believe how much our traditional stationery sales have grown since introducing HOT ink!”

“I am about to break out our Ink and technology sales from Stationery as it is growing so fast”

“Ink & Technology will be my number 1 dept soon exceeding greeting card sales”

“Technology products which are mostly ink now represent 40% of my stationery sales”

“The advertising is what is bringing new people through my door”

“Customers can’t believe we are more competitive than the bigger stores”

“With everything done for me, all I have to do is order the stock put it on the shelf and concentrate on serving my customers, how easy is that?”

“HOT ink! Has helped restore my faith in my newsagency”

Innovation, marketing and ramping up advertising is the key to building market share. The retailers that do this come out the other end bigger and better than ever! With HOT ink! 8 about to hit the streets nationally, HOT ink! 9 & 10 are not far behind. Watch this space for more innovation from newsXpress in the technology area.

In a bold move to help newsagents find a brighter future, newsXpress has made places available for non newsXpress members at its inaugural conference on the Gold Coast in September. The agenda packed with presentations which will provide practical advice for newsagents.  Peter Sheehan, author of the book excellent Flip will present the conference Keynote speech.  Flip is about what newsagents need to know – how to turn a business on its ear for a brighter future.

Included in the very practical agenda is a series of Show & Tell sessions where newsagents speak from practical experience on innovation in their businesses, workshops on visual merchandising, a session of understanding Gen Y and a session on how to run a successful staff incentive program.  All practical ideas you will be abl to take and use right away.

If you are looking to re-energise yourself and your newsagency and are considering joining the newsXpress marketing group this conference would be a good way to experience the newsXpress difference.  A limited number of positions are available for non-newsXpress members.  For further information please email paulw@newsxpress.com.au.  Non members will have access to all conference sessions except for one which is for members only.

newsXpress is about creating superior value and blue oceans for its proprietors and store network, by creating market space with exclusive supply and service arrangements. Does your marketing group do this for you or are you competing in red oceans?

Do you recognise any of these names. newsXpress has the most retail savvy support team in the channel. With a team like this serving you, your business will move forward in leaps and bounds.

• Mark Nagy: Director & CEO
• Karen Sutton: National Business Manager
• Ian Urquhart: Business Development Manager
• Roger Bortfield: Business Development Manager
• Lesley Bortfield: Business Development Manager
• Sonia Ruhland: Administration Coordinator
• Jeff Walsh: Category Manager
• Michelle Caia: Category Manager
• Chris Hicks: National Property Manager
• Ron Thorpe: Director of Greeting Card Strategy
• Paul Waite: Events Manager
• Trent Shields: National Marketing Manager
• Ben Kay: National Merchandise Manager
• Mark Fletcher: Director
• Graham Randall: Director

To contact us: enquires@newsxpress.com.au