The most common question newsagents of a marketing group they are considering joining is what does the group stand for, what is its mission?  here at newsXpress, the answer is clear:

Our mission is to make newsXpress newsagencies the most successful and sought after newsagencies in Australia.

Simple.  To the point.  This mission defines every decision we make, every supplier relationship we negotiate, every marketing startegy we develop and every contact we have.  It goes to the heart of the newsXpress difference.

We back our mission by not locking members into long contracts.

newsXpress is pleased to announce the appointment of Robert Henderson to the role of National Merchandise Manager. Robert brings years of stationery supplier experience to this key role, most recently as National Sales & Marketing Manager for the Pentel Group. In this role, Robert directly managed national retailer accounts and managed the team which worked with newsagents.

“This appointment completes a planned and strategic extension of the merchandise strategy for our 168 member newsagency marketing group.” commented Graham Randall, Managing Director of newsXpress. “newsXpress is leading newsagents to a strong future.”

As National Merchandise Manager for newsXpress, Robert will be responsible for developing merchandise strategy, establishing new supplier relationships and enhancing existing arrangements.

“I look forward to bringing to newsXpress members excellent opportunities from the kinds of supplier relationships you deserve when you have a retail network of 168 proactive retail locations.” said Robert Henderson.

“Enhancing the strategic management of our merchandise offer has been in the planning since last year” said Ben Kay, General Manager of newsXpress Pty Ltd. “Robert will provide newsXpress and its members with strategy and offers which will excite the channel”.

Robert Henderson commences his new role with newsXpress mid May.

newsXpress has a merchandise team with expertise in stationery, calendars, gifts, electronic services and circulation product. This rounded representation ensures that the company provides its members with strategy which reflects the history of the channel yet is focused on the future.

PHOTO: Ben Kay, newsXpress General Manager left and Robert Henderson, new National Merchandise Manager right.

newsXpress is proud to announce pre registration details for our national confercen for 2009. We are planning an exciting agenda packed with valuable learning and networking opportunities for newsagents and their staff from newsagencies of all size.

Watch for the pre registration link at our website.

newsXpress is pleased to announce the appointment of Ben Kay to the newly created role of General Manager.

In this new role, Ben will have management responsibility of all operational aspects of the newsXpress business and oversight of all newsXpress employees in addition to participating in developing future strategies within the group.

Ben Kay brings twenty years of Australian newsagency experience to the role, most recently as National Merchandise Manager for newsXpress.

“Ben has made an excellent contribution to our merchandise strategy over the last year, bringing on board new suppliers and negotiating better trading terms for our members.” said Graham Randall, Managing Director of newsXpress Pty Ltd. “In this new role we will be able to turn his mind to the broader operation of the group and help newsXpress newsagents achieve greater success.”

“I am excited to have the opportunity to broaden my role with newsXpress and help strengthen the disciplines within our newsagency marketing group.” said Ben Kay. “Now, more than ever, the need to show our differences and discipline across the group is crucial.”

newsXpress is looking to recruit a new National Merchandise Manager to replace Ben who served in that role.

The new General Manager role and associated structural changes within the company will strengthen the capacity of newsXpress to grow member numbers and, more importantly, grown grow newsXpress member business.

newsXpress understands the importance of growing sales for newsXpress members for it is this which justifies being part of the premium group.

newsXpress has appointed Michael Elvey to the role of Business Development Manager of Victoria and Tasmania.

Michael brings more than twelve years experience working in newsagencies in an operational capacity and helping newsagencies in a senior management role with Tower Systems.

“I have had the privilege of working with Michael in newsXpress newsagencies over the last two weeks in NSW and Victoria and have seen his expertise first-hand. His knowledge and approach to helping our members will help newsXpress grow in Victoria and Tasmania.” said Roger Bortfield, NSW/ACT Business Development Manager.

In the business development role, Michael will help newsXpress members develop more successful businesses around the exclusive strategies offered by newsXpress nationally through regular in-store meetings with newsXpress members.

“Michael has the knowledge and discipline necessary to helping newsXpress members and newsXpress as a company maintain its position as the strongest newsagency retail group in Australia. He is a welcome addition to our team.” said Graham Randall, Managing Director of newsXpress Pty Ltd.

Michael Elvey commenced his new role with newsXpress today.

We are looking to hire a full time web developer to join our back office team.  If you are Melbourne based and have good current web development skills please make contact with us through our website.

We brought the newsXpress team together yesterday to discuss plans for 2009, standards around our brand and look at several soon to be released member offers.  From marketing to merchandise, newsagency business development to board level, the day was an excellent opportunity to continue to evolve the culture of newsXpress and remind ourselves of our commitment to deliver measureable value and rewards to the newsagents and newsagencies which we serve.

We have a skilled and committed team working for newsXpress from the front line through to back office processes.  This team is a tremendous point of difference for newsXpress and what it can achieve with member newsagents.

newsXpress Parap in the Northern Territory, newsXpress Kellicar Lane in New South Wales and newsXpress Collie in Western Australia are the latest in a string of newsXpress outlets to sell a first division lottery prize.  Both sold First division Saturday.  While we don’t control who wins, we do make sure that through excellent customer service every lottery customer at newsXpress is a winner.

newsXpress stores in Queensland in 2008 sold close to twenty major lottery prizes of close to $100,000.

Post updated January 11, 2009.

A Christmas greeting from newsXpress to members and all who stop by this place…

Some of our team met on the Gold Coast yesterday to discuss 2008 and continue our planning discussions for 2009.  Group planning and reviews such as this are crucial to developing the strategy which is proving so successful for newsXpress members.  Around the table in the photo is Jeff Walsh from our merchandise team, Karen Sutton our National Sales Manager, Lesley Bortfield one of NSW Business Development Managers, Ben Kay our National Merchandise Manager, Mark Fletcher newsXpress Director, Sonia Ruhland our Group Administration Co-Ordinator, Graham Randall newsXpress Director., Roger Bortfield another of our NSW Business Development Managers and Belinda Adshead our Queensland Business Development Manager.

newsXpress has a strong professional team including several not in the photo.  This team is key to the strength of our group and the success being achieved by our members.

The team at our newsXpress corporate store at Watergardens has created a bold Christmas sale display right at the front of the shop.  The display featured items from several of the newsXpress Christmas offers including art, puzzle, gift and other categories.  It includes several newsXpress exclusive lines.     The display has been placed on the lease line facing directly into the mall and is drawing new visitors to our shop.

Our Watergardens store was opened mid 2007 and is used by newsXpress as a place where we experiment with new retail concepts and product categories.  We work closely with suppliers in pursuit of new opportunities exclusively for newsXpress newsagents.

From time to time we arrange tours of the business. If you would like to go behind the scenes on newsXpress Watergardens please let us know.

We quietly launched a test version of our new website today. This is early in stage one of a multi stage roll out of a new online presence for newsXpress.

newsXpress members get to choose which promotions and offers from the group they take up in their newsagencies.  No promotion is mandatory.  No product offer take-up is required.  While many members embrace our offers, because of the traffic generated and or excellent margin, we do not force anyone.

We mention this here today because there is a bit of noise in the newsagency marketplace that we do force members to take up offers.

newsXpress yesterday introduced its Western Australian members to Jarrad Zanich, our new Business Development Manager working full time for newsXpress from mid January 2009. Jarrad is reluctantly leaving a successful role with Hallmark to join newsXpress. He will be responsible for growing our representation in Western Australia and helping our members derive greater success from their businesses. Here is the text of a press release issued today announcing Jarrad’s appointment.

NEWSXPRESS EXPANDS IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA

newsXpress, the premier marketing group for Australian newsagents, has announced expansion in Western Australia with the appointment of Jarrad Zanich in a new role for the group as West Australian Business Development Manager.

Jarrad brings three years experience with Hallmark Cards as a successful Account Manager and prior to that, three years with Coca Cola Amatil as a Senior Business Development representative.

 “Jarrad provides newsXpress with an excellent on-the-ground business development resource exclusive for our West Australian members.”  said Graham Randall, founding Director of newsXpress.  “his passion for newsagents and his proven business skills will help our business and the businesses of members excel”.

 “I am excited to be joining the best newsagency marking group in Australia.”  Jarrad Zanich commented.  “To be able to walk into a newsagency and provide excellent business building resources is something is my passion.”

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.

Jarrad will work with newsXpress full time covering all of Western Australia and assisted by others from the newsXpress national team.   

The photo shows Jarrad with newsXpress founding Director Graham Randall.

newsXpress is close to releasing the first stage of our brand new website. This website will provide our group and our members with an even more competitive framework on several fronts. The new website was announced at our National Conference and is the result of considerable research and development effort - to create something of unique value.

As newsXpress grows across Australia, more newsagents, suppliers and other stakeholders are relying on the broader newsXpress community to protect our brand.  This is why we have standards for newsagencies trading under our brand.  Newsagents who are unwilling to meet these minimum standards over a reasonable period of time are invited to find a home elsewhere for their business.

While this approach may seem harsh, there is no point in building and promoting a brand if it does not stand for something unique and valuable.

We are thrilled to welcome three newsagencies to newsXpress as from yesterday.  Our new members of the newsXpress newsagent community are from Yarram in Victoria and Wetherill Park and Young in New South Wales.

One of the most important benefits to newsagents who join our newsagency marketing group is the regular visits from our Business Development Managers.  These face to face on-site visits bring insights from other newsagencies and retail businesses direct to our members.  newsXpress is the only newsagent marketing group offering our structured in-store visits.  We see this as a reason newsXpress stores outperform other groups in delivering growth on a same-store year-on-year basis in several key departments.  Our BDMs are like having a business coach as part of the newsagency marketing service.

As new members, these newsagencies will also receive training and support in a range of areas of their businesses.  They will also have access to newsXpress exclusive deals, regular member meetings and a hot of other benefits provided to newsXpress newsagents.

We have more new members going through the final stages of joining so watch for more announcements in the next couple of weeks.

Ben Kay, our National Merchandise Manager has been attending a major trade show in Hong Kong this week searching out new possible products for newsXpress members. Our interest in products from China and other Asian countries is not in cheap items others pursue but rather in product which we would be proud to bring to newsXpress shelves and which compliments our existing focus.

Having seen product from 4,000 suppliers across seven massive exhibition halls, Ben has developed a shortlist of suppliers which could fit with our plans for 2009 and supplement important existing supplier relationships. A due diligence process will follow to ensure that the products under consideration meet criteria established by our merchandise team.

We have seen individual newsagents and other groups head down the importing road and not deliver a point of difference or enhance the brand experience. Our mission is to carefully respect these two points in developing our importing strategy.

Ben hopes to be in a position to outline the buying opportunity in one new product category to newsXpress members in several weeks.

Following the resignation of Mark Nagy, the two Directors of newsXpress, Graham Randall and Mark Fletcher, have taken a more active role in the business in a team oversight capacity.  This is providing newsXpress with time to consider the skills which will best suit the needs of newsXpress and its members in the next phase of its expansion.  It is part of the plan Mark Nagy put to the Board when he approached them about his future plans.

We have an experienced and mature team at newsXpress from the back office to our on the road team to our marketing and merchandise teams.  As professional mature business people working to a common mission and with a structure which has been well established over the last three years, we are continuing to enjoy good membership growth and good growth within existing member businesses.

We blog about this today because one group, with a vested interest, is spreading a different story.

The best way to see how newsXpress is operating is to come to one of our member meetings.  Our next round will be in the second week of November.  Non members will be most welcome to experience the newsXpress culture and deliverables first-hand.  We will post details here next week.

newsXpress is confident of the quality of its offer to newsagents.  This is why the group does not lock newsagents into five year contracts which can also make selling the business a challenge.

newsXpress has established a page on Facebook, the social networking site being used by close to 100 million people worldwide.  The newsXpress page will be used as a meeting place for newsXpress members and others connected with the group - suppliers, employees of members and former employees of members.

newsXpress will use the Facebook page in a way which is in keeping with the social context of Facebook - to connect people through the common link of an interest in newsXpress.

As the first newsagency marketing group in Australia to use Facebook, newsXpress is demonstrating an understanding of the importance of social media and the value of this medium for facilitating new conversations.

Anyone is welcome to become a fan of newsXpress on Facebook - search for newsXpress, once you are at the page click on become a fan.  fans are kept up to date with newsXpress news through Facebook.