Another happy newsXpress winner

hamperwinner.jpgCailin Wright is the happy winner of our Easter colouring competition at newsXpress Knox in Victoria.  She was happy to come in and collect her prize hamper of chocolates, plush and other gifts.

Cailin was one of many entrants in newsXpress colouring competitions run around Australia in newsXpress stores this Easter.  Our members used the opportunity to promote customer and community engagement as well as having fun.

Mother’s Day at newsXpress Eli Waters

eli-waters-mothersday.jpgThe team at newsXpress Eli Waters has setup their first Mother’s Day display for the 2010 season.  They are using gifts from the newsXpress range and newsXpress Mother’s Day marketing collateral provided free to newsXpress members.

the offer will expand as Mother’s Day approaches.

There is good evidence to suggest that going out early with a season like Mother’s Day, right after Easter, is appreciated by shoppers.  newsXpress and partner suppliers support this with early access to product and collateral.

Appreciation from Lighthouse Foundation

newsxpress-lighthouse.JPGnewsXpress received heartfelt appreciation from the Lighthouse Foundation last week for the funds we raised in our Father’s Day campaign last year.  In a newsXpress exclusive promotion, every pack of Dad’s Nuts bags from Morish Nuts raised funds for Lighthouse.  This is another part of our commitment to social responsibility – connecting newsXpress and member businesses with community organisations.

newsXpress thanks all members for participating in this promotion and helping to make a difference to the work Lighthouse dows in the community.

Easter at newsXpress Deception Bay

deception_bay_window.jpgThe window display at newsXpress Deception Bay reflects the colour and excitement of Easter.  It is a real feature of the centre and a draw-card for the business.

While in-store the newsXpress collateral is used to full advantage, the window display is used to create wonderful retail theatre.  The display is a wonderful of excellent visual merchandising.

Top Gear at newsXpress Wetherill Park

15032010023.jpgThe newsXpress Merchandise team delivered a terrific product opportunity to member stores capitalising on the on going success of the original UK Top Gear and the launch of the TV show on Channel 9 this year.

newsXpress Wetherill Park are always early adopters of merchandise opportunities and supported this new range with a superb display on a prominent aisle end that showcased the full range of: Stig Pens, watches, clocks, USB Drives, key chains, mini torches, Boxed mugs and journals.

Easter colouring competition at newsXpress Milsons Point

milsons-point-easter.jpgEntrants for the Easter colouring competition at newsXpress Milsons Point have their artwork on display in the window for friends, family and the locals to see and admire.

There has been no shortage of entries for this popular competition.  The friendly team at newsXpress Milsons Point have made the most of the opportunity to better connect with their local community and to show off the newsXpress difference.

newsXpress encourages members to show off the art in the window as it gives the artists an audience and it shows the community that the business cares.

Happy Holidays

newsXpress wishes Roger and Lesley Bortfield, our NSW/ACT Business Development Managers and Rob Henderson, our National Merchandise Manager, happy and safe travels as they head overseas to far away places for their respective vacations.  Roger and Lesley will be in the USA and canada and Rob will be in the UK.

newsXpress Wetherill Park lottery win in the news

newsXpress Wetherill Park featured in the news against this weeks thanks to a $1.8 million lottery win and a wonderful story about a soon to be married customer not knowing they had won.  here is part of the story from the Fairfield Advance:

FOR five weeks, a bride-to-be had no idea the Lotto ticket she bought at Wetherill Park was worth $1.8 million.

The woman, 30, is planning her dream wedding after winning the top prize in the Valentine’s Day Lotto draw.

“I’ve been working overtime to pay for my wedding, which will be later in the year,” she said. “Normally I check my tickets regularly but I’ve been so busy I haven’t had a chance.

“I opened up my wallet last week and the ticket fell out and I thought I’d better get it checked. I still can’t believe it.”

Sisters Antonella Difranco and Ginella Postaj, who own NewsExpress at Wetherill Park, couldn’t be happier for their lucky customer.

Easter at newsXpress Mortdale

mortdale-easter.jpgThe team at newsXpress Mortdale (NSW) has a delicious selection of Easter eggs and chocolates on display along with newsXpress marketing collateral at the front of the business.  The display looks stunning and is attracting plenty of attention and sales from happy customers.

The energy and focus of the team at newsXpress Mortdale, a new member of the newsXpress family is terrific to see and experience.

New look newsXpress Robina

newsxpress-robina.JPGThe new shopfit just completed by Rowe shopfitters for newsXpress Robina (QLD) looks stunning.  It makes a bold brand-based statement from the front of the shop and throughout.  Professionalism like this is crucial in a competitive retail environment.  The new fit does Chris and Tony McNamara and the newsXpress brand proud.  Click on the image to see a larger version of this photo.

Easter at newsXpress Beechworth

beechworth-easter.JPGThe creative team at newsXpress Beechworth (VIC) has placed their Easter display on the high-traffic dance floor – facing customers as they enter the shop.  The focus in this display is on eggs capped by the newsXpress Easter marketing collateral.

There is excellent consistency across the newsXpress network in the use of collateral and customer engagement around the Easter season.  As a group we are set to record some excellent numbers again this year.

New Golden Casket corporate image launched

golden-casket-corp-image-robina.JPGThe new Golden Casket corporate image was launched at newsXpress Robina with the opening of their new store.

Looking very professional with smooth and clean lines, the new image is the result of considerable work within Golden Casket and working with proactive retailers such as Chris, Tony and the team at newsXpress Robina in Queensland.

A strong corporate image is important in retail.  newsXpress is grateful to Golden Casket for their innovation.

Easter at newsXpress Emerald

emerald-one.jpgSally and Peter Murphy at newsXpress Emerald along with their team have created an amazing easter wall to display their range of plush toys and gift lines. The display stands out due to the use of the exceptional newsXpress A1 posters along with shelf wobblers promoting the range of Hallmark Easter greeting cards surrounding the product.

newsXpress newsagents have reported a strong focus on developing their gift range this year to complement the traditional chocloate and confectionery offering.

Easter at newsXpress Salamander Bay

salamander-bay-one.jpgnewsXpress Salamander Bay has promoted the success of their newsXpress Easter colouring in competition by incorporating the fantastic entries into their in-store merchandising display. The use of the colorful bunnies to dress the merchandising display was an inspirational decision by Fiona Matthews and her team that has paid off brilliantly as the photo attests.

A concerted effort to branch out into gifts this Easter is resulting in great rewards for newsXpress stores, and the timing of the ABW Easter Book promotion has driven even more traffic and sales.

newsXpress launches ‘Retail Training Academy’

newsXpress has launched the newsXpress Retail Training Academy. In partnership with Ganador Management Solutions (the Registered Training Organisation = RTO), newsXpress has created the industry’s first training program specifically designed around a newsagency marketing group and its principles.

“As a marketing group newsXpress has procured the services of a progressive RTO to develop and customise the training material to simultaneously meet government standards and meet specific, practical requirements of its members.” Opined Dr Dennis Price, CEO Ganador Management Solutions.

The training program is underpinned by government subsidies for eligible employees making it cost neutral for all small businesses to participate and at completion of the course the trainee will gain a nationally recognised Retail Certificate Level 3.

“Newsagents are undergoing tremendous change, one of the cornerstone strategies for dealing with change, is developing people and equipping them to add value at a higher level.” commented Graham Randall, Managing Director of newsXpress. “Whilst there are many training options out there, this particular approach is unique because it is specifically customised just like enterprise RTOs (Woolworths and other large retailers) but has been outsourced and separately funded by newsXpress to give small business (and their staff) access to the same opportunities as the big guns of retail. Additionally it is commercially relevant because of material customisation of the content, whilst meeting and exceeding the nationally accredited standards.”

This training program ensures the long term future of newsXpress staff members as they will have been trained on the newsXpress system. The benefits of the training will roll through the business from the staff member to the owner and the business itself.

The program is delivered as a ’blended solution’ which includes face-to-face workshops, in-store training and assessment and e-learning.

“The program is aimed at the staff employed in small businesses, often in rural areas, and lacking many opportunities for training and development.” said Ben Kay, newsXpress General Manager. “newsXpress feels it has a corporate social responsibility to support its members and their staff to access the right training that is relevant to the individual and the business. newsXpress is committed to this program and our staff are being trained to be able to formally facilitate the program”.

Employees working in newsXpress locations are already expressing interest in the new training on offer.

Four regional newsXpress meetings next month

newsXpress is pleased to announce dates for four regional meetings next month to provide newsXpress members an opportunity to talk about business and to also let others see the newsXpress difference. Art these meetings we will share an newsXpress developed strategy which shows how to grow traffic, efficiency and margin. Running from 10am to 1pm, the sessions are open to newsXpress members and newsagent colleagues. The dates are:

MACKAY, QLD – Tuesday April 20.
TORONTO, NSW Central Coast – Tuesday April 27.
SUNSHINE COAST, QLD – Thursday April 29
GOLD COAST – Friday April 30

Click here to book.

newsXpress Knox attracting strong interest

newsxpress_knox.JPGOur new newsXpress corporate store at Knox City in Victoria is drawing plenty of attention from others.

Newsagents, suppliers and others regularly visit to see the flexible shopfitting system from Interfit and other innovations we have delivered in this business.

Many visitors are taken with the innovative tables we have at the front of the business.  These are now the fourth generation of a newsXpress exclusive development we started over three years ago.  Having the right and flexible fixtures are vital to retail success.  These latest units can be seen working for books as well as Easter eggs and other Easter product.

newsXpress is committed to investing in the development of more useful and financially rewarding fixtures and fitting for newsXpress businesses.  We back this innovation with on the ground support in how fixtures can be best used.

The result of our work is excitement about the future not only for our group but for others who are taking a keen interest in what we are doing.

The photo was taken this morning at newsXpress Knox.

Great Easter competition entries at newsXpress Yarram

yarram_easter_entries.JPGThe front window is ablaze with colour at newsXpress Yarram (VIC) as they have entries for their easter colouring competition on display.  Click on the image to see the extent of the entries they have received – the entries stretch across three windows and easter is still more than a week away.  Engagement like this in a local campaign is terrific for the local community as well as newsXpress Yarram.

newsXpress gives away 5 iPhones

newsXpress has drawn five lucky customers at random from many entries submitted to determine the winners of iPhones which were offered as part of our Back to Work campaign.

Each lucky customer was thrilled when called with news of their win. We are playing the phonecalls with the winners on newsXpress radio.

We are grateful to Optus for their support of this campaign.

Our iPhone giveaway campaign was another way newsXpress was demonstrating its difference to our members and to our customers.