A blog on issues affecting Australia's newsagents, media and small business generally. More ...

newsagency marketing

If your social media content is not delivering new shoppers, it’s time to fix your content

There is no shortage of people and organisations offering to manage your social media content. It can feel like an easy decision to say yes, and give them the keys to generating shopper traffic for you. They promise consistency and visibility with zero effort from you.

It sounds like a lifeline. In reality, it’s a waste of time.

Here is the hard truth about social media marketing for local businesses: being in someone’s news feed has no value unless they value your content.

Generic, canned posts, the kind that could belong to any shop, anywhere, are “noise.” People scroll right past it.

The “Big Business” Trap We often look at huge national chains and see their generic marketing. It seems to work for them, so why not us?

But big business marketing is designed to make hundreds of stores look exactly the same. That is the opposite of your strength. No two independent newsagents in Australia are the same. Your shop has its own personality, its own community, and its own vibe.

Standardised posts strip away the very thing that makes you special.

Posting a generic photo pitching a magazine, lottery game or an item of stationery is a loser move.

These product categories only become valuable content when you post about them in a way that is unique, useful, or entertaining. You need to inject your perspective into what you sell.

  • Don’t just post a picture of a new cookbook; share your attempt at making a recipe from it (even if it failed!).
  • Don’t just post a picture of a card; make your post personal.

The best social media posts for your business come from you, about your business. To stop people from scrolling, your posts need to be:

  • Personal: Show the faces behind the counter.
  • Knowledgeable: Share tips or insights about your products that only you know.
  • Local: Inform your followers about community events or local news.
  • Fun: Don’t be afraid to be entertaining or self-deprecating.

I understand time is short. You might feel you aren’t “creative” enough to invest time in social media.

There is no shortcut for better social media posts. You must do the work. You must put in the time to make it work for you.

There are plenty of old assumptions made about the local Aussie newsagency. How you engage on social media is vital to changing how people see your business in the modern era. Take this as a challenge and an opportunity to find your voice.

If someone else or some other organisation, like your marketing group controls your social media posts, stop. Take control. It’s your business.

Footnote: I have looked. today at more than 50 Facebook pages for newsagencies across different banners as well as independent. The majority are wasting their Facebook engagement and I suspect this is resulting in no net new traffic being attracted. What a waste.

…
Mark Fletcher founded newsagency software company Tower Systems and is the CEO of newsXpress, a marketing group serving innovative newsagents keen to evolve their businesses for a bright future. You can reach him on mark@newsxpress.com.au or 0418 321 338.

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marketing tip

80 Years On: Remembering the Second World War

I’m grateful that newsXpress stores will be offering access to coins to commemorate the eightieth anniversary of the end of the Second World War. The coin’s reverse features a remembrance wreath, which comprises eight red poppies to represent the eight decades that have passed since the end of the war.

Produced by the Royal Australian Mint, the demand for these coins is high if calls and emails already are anything to go by.

The new shopper traffic generated by each coin release is excellent, and coin shoppers are efficient, often purchasing other items.

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newsagency marketing

It’s Bluey day in the newsagency today

Two Bluey themed coins from the Royal Australian Mint go on sale today at 8:30am AEDT. The buzz around this release has been huge, resulting in calls, emails and more.

There are purchase limits in place to ensure an even spread for customers.

newsXpress is the exclusive outlet in our channel for these coins. There has been tight control relating to the release of product details and the actual on sale date.

We are leveraging the opportunity with Bluey greeting cards from Henderson Greetings, Bluey products from Ty along with Bluey books and puzzles. We are also selling the Bluey coins from our website: www.mintcoinshop.com.au.

Plenty of coin customers do buy other products.

A newsagency embracing mint coins can expect to do at least $20,000 a year in sales of the coins regardless of their location. I know of stores doing five times that easily. The thing about coins is that they always sell, and shoppers are prepared to drive several hours to get them. It’s an easy win category.

Today is going to be a good day.




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newsagency marketing

Halloween is an easy retail opportunity most Aussie newsagents fail to embrace

Halloween is a tiny season for newsagents yet for similar businesses in the US it is worth sometimes more than half the revenue value of Christmas.

Okay, the US has a bigger engagement with Halloween as a season.  That’s no excuse. I know of newsagents in Australia who do thousands on Halloween related sales. This is a retail seasonal opportunity any newsagent can embrace.

In the US $12 billion is spent on decorations, costumes, candy, and greeting cards, according to the National Retail Federation (NRF). It grows annually.

In Australia, the spend is reportedly around $450 million annually. According to The Australian Retailers Association, 20% of Aussies engage with the season.

Among retailers, especially newsagents, there is ignorance as to what engagement can look like. There is candy for sure, for kids out for that. There are costumes – an easy market for us. Then there is home decor for adults hosting Halloween parties. This home decor is a space in which our shops have had terrific success over the years.

You can choose to be at the discount variety any with cheap products, the mid level with a more thoughtful offering or at the high end with $1,000+ pieces. You can land where works best for you.

The thing is, most Aussie newsagents won’t land, most won’t be in the Halloween space, most will miss this opportunity.

I like Halloween in retail because it’s fun, financially successful and attracting new shoppers. In our Malvern shop on GlenferrieRoad our front window has people stopping. Plenty step in for a photo.



Now, the typical Malvern shopper is 70+, retired, conservative. They are not what you would think fits a typical Halloween shopper. The thing is, they love the display, get a smile from it and plenty bring others to show them.

This window placement of Halloween is getting the shop noticed by more people.

Our embrace of opportunities like this outside of what is traditional for newsagents is one reason we continue to enjoy double-digit growth in this business.

Any newsagent can embrace Halloween in the city or country, in the Main Street or in a shopping centre. Sure what we have done is a bit over the top. You don;t need to do this.

The keys with Halloween are to be bold, have fun and give shoppers an experience they will talk about.

I am certain that you could grow Halloween to be worth at least 50% of Christmas in your business.

Now if you do embrace Halloween, be sure to promote it outside the business.

This type of out of store marketing is vital to finding even more new shoppers.

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Management tip

Now here’s an idea to prime interest in Christmas

The pressure to create a “perfect” Christmas in retail is immense. Forget all that. Right now, today, my suggestion is that you start a small conversation.

Walk outside with your A-frame sign and a marker. In big, friendly letters, write:

“HELP US SETTLE A DEBATE: When should Christmas music officially start?”

Underneath, make two columns: “November” and “December”. If you’re game, you could head a column “October”.

Leave the marker there for people to add a tick.

Or, do this on social media. Or, write it on your front window. or, put up a big sign in your shop. The key is: ask the question, invite engagement.

This isn’t about selling. It’s about connection. It makes people smile, starts conversations, and turns your shop into the heart of the town’s festive debate.

You don’t need a budget to create Christmas spirit. You just need to ask this simple question. Everything else grows from this first, tiny step.

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marketing tip

An unexpected $1,890.00 windfall

I made this short video yesterday to show some newsagents I was talking with how to create and send a basic marketing email in Shopify. In the email I pitched a new silver coin celebrating the classic 1960s Batman car that we have at a website connected to my newsagency: www.mintcoinshop.com.au. Two hours after I sent the email we’d sold 9 of the Batman car coins – $1,890.00. The email generated $2,000.00 in sales of other coins.

Here’s the video:

I am sharing the video here to be transparent about the ease of sending a marketing email through Shopify. Originally, I made the video to be private and shared with a few. Today I thought why not show off this simple and successful opportunity.

Online is vital for the future of retailers today, especially newsagents where so much is changing about our businesses.

Now if you have a website and are not getting the traffic to and sales  that you want, here are steps we suggest you consider:

  1. Keep your Google business profile current with fresh content. Always link back to your website. Post at least weekly. If you’re not sure what a Google business profile is, Google it. Every business should have one.
  2. Publish blog posts of useful content about your products. If you are running Shopify, use the blog function provided and have a feed of blog posts on your home page. Show your points of difference in the content you publish. Publish at least 3 new posts each week. Posts should be 350+ words and use the keyword you are targeting at least 5 times.
  3. Make sure your website is known to Google and that your sitemap is regularly shared when the website has new content – to get your new content found.
  4. Consider turning on the Google product feed. This itself is free. You can also pay for your products to feature in google search results.
  5. Provide entertaining and useful content on social media. Posts saying buy this are useless, people will ignore them, and your business. How to use a product content is good as is content that makes fun of the business and / or people in it. Sharing local insights is also considered good content. Include a link to your website in posts when it makes sense.
  6. Re-purpose content. For example you might have a social media post that is also part of a bigger blog post on the website.
  7. Email past customers at least monthly with an update on new stock.
  8. Include pages on your website that share useful information. These pages should speak to your knowledge. Sharing your knowledge is key to you being seen as an authoritative source and this is the first step in AI models including your content in their results. This is the new search.
  9. Ensure your product names reflect what people search for.
  10. Ensure product descriptions are comprehensive, useful, and, containing text people are searching for.
  11. In every communication about your website –  email, social media, on the website itself – add value. By value, I mean make sure that what you write or say is helpful and supports your mission to be a trusted source of products and knowledge and enjoyment related to those products.
  12. Refresh the look and feel of the website at least yearly. A theme change is Shopify could be all that’s needed here.
  13. Do not outsource this work. Doing it yourself helps you learn and decide on the steps that best suit the type of business you are running.

A website is a hungry beast.

newsXpress offers its members access to a unique set of support services to help newsagents maximise the online opportunity. From strategic to tactical, newsXpress newsXpress difference for online success can add tens of thousands of dollars of gross profit.

No other group has the experience and tech skillset to offer what newsXpress offers newsagents. If this interests you, please email help@newsxpress.com.au.

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newsagency marketing

Giving your marketing group control of your social media feed is a dumb move and here’s why

I was looking through newsagent social media feeds this week and was surprised at how many newsagents give their marketing group control over the content on their local business social media, content published in the name of the business.

Almost all the centrally served content I saw was space filling rubbish, the kind of social media content people scroll past.

Nothing, no content, no posts would be better than this filler.

A promise that a marketing group will manage your social media for you or publish content for you is a bad offer for any local retail business.

The centrally controlled content I saw this week is the kind of content that results in newsagents being judged as out of date, as dying businesses.

Typically, this content is pitching low margin products over which newsagents have minimal control and from which they make agent fees and not valuable retailer profit.

If you have given a marketing group control over your social media post, my opinion is that you should disconnect them from this, that you should take control for your own social media content. Reflect you and your local business in your posts.

Have fun.

Give something of yourself.

Stop trying to sell.

Entertain.

Show your local difference.

Here are 3 key reasons you should control what your business posts on social media:

  1. Controlling your social media preserves your shop’s authentic voice, allowing you to build a genuine connection with the local community.
  2. Handling your content yourself provides the agility to share timely updates, such as new stock arrivals or spontaneous promotions, without delay.
  3. Managing your own channels fosters deeper customer engagement through knowledgeable, direct interaction and is considerably more cost-effective.

If you are not sure what I am talking about, go search the social media pages of newsagents you know. Maybe you ‘ll come across the junk posts to which I refer earlier. I won’t name a group to search for because I don’t want another letter from their lawyer. But they are bad, for sure, a waste of time, a waste of pixels.

As a local shop, one advantage is people. Let people connect with people. Consider this type of content:

  • Meet the Team: Post a friendly photo of yourself or your staff with a short bio or a fun fact. This puts a face to the business and makes you more approachable.
  • Behind the Scenes: Share snippets of your day-to-day life in the shop—organising a new display, unboxing an order, or even just making your morning coffee. It feels genuine and exclusive.
  • Customer Features: With their permission, share a photo of a happy customer with their purchase. This acts as a powerful, real-world testimonial.

Celebrate your local community:

  • Local Love: Give a shout-out to the cafe next door where you get your coffee, or mention a nearby park. This builds goodwill with other local businesses and strengthens your community ties.
  • In-Store Environment: Post photos of your shop’s interior, especially when the light is nice or you’ve created a beautiful new display. Make your physical space look as inviting online as it is in person.
  • Neighbourhood Events: Share information about local markets, festivals, or events happening in your area. This positions you as a helpful community hub, not just a retailer.

Offer content that adds value:

  • Tips and Tricks: Share your expert knowledge relating to products you sell without telling people to shop from you.
  • Answer FAQs: Turn frequently asked questions into content. Create a post or a short video answering a common query about a product’s material, care instructions, or origin.
  • Gift Guides: Curate gift ideas for upcoming occasions like birthdays, anniversaries, or holidays. This is helpful for your customers and a soft way to promote multiple products at once.

Yes, I know all this sounds like hard work and you feel you don’t have time.

So what?!

You chose to own and run a newsagency.

Make the time.

Investing in the public face of your business is one of the most valuable investments you can make. Delegating this to someone else, maybe someone far far away from your shop, is a mistake since it would be like delegating responsibility for the success of your local business.

Leek at what you’re posting on your social media. Make it yours, make it local, make it something of which you can be proud.

Stop outsourcing the heartbeat of your business. That generic content is a waste of pixels and a public declaration that you’ve given up on personally connecting with your customers. Taking control is non-negotiable work. It’s the difference between being a passive agent for national brands and being the owner of a local business that actually matters to its community. Make the time, make it yours, and make it count.

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Newsagency management

Promoting jigsaws in Winter in the local newsagency

newsXpress stores are running an in-store promotion around the jigsaw category. Each store has been provided access to product deals with bonus gross profit, a terrific good-value prize for one lucky local shopper along with collateral for promoting the competition.

This type of local store promotion with a local winner is successful for local retailers. It’s part of the exclusive newsXpress Seasonal Edge promotion series, which costs nothing for participating retailers.

Here is a small sample showing in-store activation with the promotion.










The proof of the campaign is in sales, and they are up.

Simple and local campaigns like this work well, especially when thoughtfully timed for the right season, which Winter is for jigsaws.

…
Mark Fletcher founded newsagency software company Tower Systems and is the CEO of newsXpress, a marketing group serving innovative newsagents keen to evolve their businesses for a bright future. You can reach him on mark@newsxpress.com.au or 0418 321 338.

5 likes
newsagency marketing

Free offer: for newsagents with a website and those considering one

I’ve been deeply immersed in the world of online retail for over a decade. From building websites for my own newsagency businesses – individual shops, online-only stores, and multi-shop single-category sites – to guiding the web development efforts at Tower Systems, the software company I founded, I’ve gained extensive experience. Through my work at Tower, I constantly leverage search, traffic, and other data to help retailers attract more shoppers online. I also have access to insightful, paywalled data on website traffic and keywords, giving me a unique edge.

Now, I’m extending that expertise to you. My goal is simple: to help more newsagents make money online. This starts with creating websites that are easily found, trusted, and enjoyed by visitors. Data play a vital role in achieving these goals, and thankfully, there’s plenty of good data available to inform actionable advice.

Here is what I offer, for free:

1. If you already have a website:

Email me your website URL at mark@newsxpress.com.au. I’ll review your current traffic data, analyse your website’s performance, and examine your social media presence. I’ll also take a look at some of your competitors’ online strategies.

What you’ll receive is a clear, actionable “To-Do” list of steps you can take yourself to improve traffic and convert more visitors into paying customers, ultimately growing your online revenue.

2. If you’re considering a website (or don’t know where to start):

Email me at mark@newsxpress.com.au with your initial ideas for a website. I’ll research relevant keywords and analyse the traffic potential your competitors are already getting.

You’ll receive valuable evidence and insights to help you make informed decisions about the type of website that’s right for your business. If you’re completely new to this and have no idea where to begin, feel free to email me about that too – just tell me a bit about your shop.

Also, know that your website does not have to be connected in any way with what you sell in your newsagency today. In fact, I’d encourage that.

Why am I offering this for free? 

This service is genuinely free. I am not trying to sell you anything. I’ve offered similar analyses to Tower Systems customers, most of whom are outside the newsagency channel. Each project has broadened my own knowledge and helped me refine this service.

So, why the free offer? The health of the Australian newsagency channel matters deeply to me. I care about our industry, and this free service is simply another way I can give back and help newsagents run thriving retail businesses in today’s digital landscape.

The more newsagents selling online with successful websites the better.

A Word of warning: The Truth Matters

What I’ll share with you will be the unvarnished truth. I won’t sugarcoat it. If you’re serious about making money online, understanding the real picture is crucial.

Please email me at mark@newsxpress.com.au.

Footnote: Each analysis takes time. Plus I have a day job. I will get to your request as soon as I can.

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Newsagency management

Forget Labubu, you likely have better opportunities in your shop today

Stop chasing fleeting social media trends and instead focus on opportunities at your doorstep.

In your shop today is likely a more sustainable path to retail success by focusing on the everyday items customers are actively searching for.

It’s a simple shift in perspective that can lead to lasting stability and growth.

I made this video early today after I was asked by a retailer about how to access Labubu for their toy / gift shop.

In our newsagency channel I see newsagents chase hot properties too late and ignore better opportunities along the way.

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Newsagency management

A big shout out to newsXpress newsagents on the Morning Show in Seven this week

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Basket building

Is your social media content noise or …

You. That person you see in the mirror. That’s the person to love today.

This is what we shared on social media this morning. Our goal is to share something comfortable, inspiring and relevant knowing that today people will be bombarded with plenty of noise about Valentine’s Day.

Noise is not the best way to sell.

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newsagency marketing

Spring Fair 2025 in Birmingham is another indicator of the fading role of trade shows

While I am grateful for the opportunity to attend Spring Fair 2025 in Birmingham this year it was smaller than last year and for the time I was there if felt like there were fewer attendees.

Spring Fair has been the must-attend trade show for cards, gifts, homewares and related retailers in the UK and, often, from far away as Australia. I’ve been at least six times, and several times to the related event, Autumn Fair.

I know of some suppliers who have pulled out of Spring Fair to concentrate on web sales to their wholesale customers. Others have pulled out to focus on using platforms such as Faire. Speaking of Faire, they had a stand at Spring Fair, which to me is like having your competitor in your shop selling against you.

While the trade show halls were not as full previously – they used temporary walls to make a huge hall smaller – there were some interesting suppliers as well as plenty of existing suppliers to connect with.

There are a few challenges for trade shows:

The labour cost while you are away from the business in this world of reduced headcount is a challenge. The excellent options for sourcing without travelling to a trade show is a factor too.

For suppliers, these trade shows are expensive. In Australia, a basic small stand at a gift fair will cost more than $15,000 for the stand, furniture, staffing and related costs. Businesses have to weigh up the cost versus the return, which can take several to realise.

This all brings me to my point. The suppliers who don’t do well at these trade shows are those who approach them as they have done for years. Those who do best are those with a fresh approach, a time-attentive approach, pitching new ideas, opportunities and products. These suppliers are offering retailers new ways to make money in their businesses.

All of us involved in trade shows need to reinvent our approach to them. The trade show organisers are demonstrating disinterest in this, so it comes to us. I say us with my hat on as a supplier to retailers. We have to deliver more valuable and enjoyable experiences for retailers. We have to offer a new trade show experience.

The biggest benefit of getting to Spring Fair this year is the same as every year I have been – seeing trends months or a year ahead of when they hit in Australia.

Yes, the role of the trade show is changing. While they have a place, they are not  what we build our year around any more.

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newsagency marketing

Exclusive Valentine’s Day promotion drives card sales for newsXpress retailers

Across Australia, locally owned newsXpress stores are running a Valentine’s Day promotion with one shopper in each store set to win a prize hamper valued at $350+. It’s a greeting card promotion with every card purchase gaining an entry. The goal is to drive engagement with greeting cards. newsXpress has funded the promotion for the shops, providing the products in the prize pack along with in-store collateral. This is an ultra local promotion, a small business promotion designed to encourage local shopping. #ShopLocal #SmallBusiness #ValentinesDay #GreetingCards

This is an excellent example of practical help from the newsXpress newsagency marketing group.

Here are some of the many displays in place.

newsXpress helps its members attract new shoppers and get existing shoppers spending more with innovating advice and support, like this Valentine’s Day promotion. This is on the back of a successful Christmas promotion and a terrific Father’s Day 2024 promotion. each of these promotions has sought to lift card sales for local newsXpress members.

Being exclusive to newsXpress, these promotions help newsXpress members differentiate their businesses from other businesses nearby selling similar products. They help the whole card department in each business as there is no restriction on the cards to purchase to be part of the promotion.

At the start of 2024 we set our theme as MAKING THINGS HAPPEN.

It was a commitment to action, growth, success and enjoyment for newsXpress members.

We have seen terrific results.

We have helped members attract new shoppers with several exclusive new product ranges.

We have newsXpress members recording double-digit card sales growth because of our exclusive store specific card performance data project.

We have helped stores recalibrate their commitment to magazines to make this low margin category work, freeing high value space for better margin product.

Our retail insights trip to Berlin and London was a terrific success with excellent in-store initiatives flowing as a result.

This is what MAKING THINGS HAPPEN is about.

newsXpress is a privately owned company. We have been in business since 2001. We are a marketing group.

We’re not a franchise. Nothing we pitch is mandatory. We do not charge a fee based on your turnover.

In 2019, 2022, 2023 and 2024 we organised (subsidised by newsXpress) overseas travel to attend international trade shows and to see best practice local independent retail in categories of interest to members. We are doing this again in 2025.

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newsagency marketing

Valentine’s Day marketing tips for local small business retailers

Newsagents and other local small business retailers have a terrific opportunity with Valentine’s Day. It starts with you understanding that it’s not just about celebrating romantic love. Valentine’s Day is a perfect opportunity to share love, romantic or otherwise. Here are tips for having fun this Valentive’s day and driving success in your shops:

Put your Valentine’s Day cards out early, in the front of the shop so every shopper sees them.

Write about Valentine’s Day cards on social media, one card per post. Highlight fun cards, cards for non-traditional valentine’s day giving, cards you love. Give something of yourself in these posts.

Have one or two Valentine’s Day cards at the counter. Change them every few days.

Have a couple of Valentine’s Day impulse items at the counter: chocolate hearts, photo frame, a cute plush item.

Create a local love wall. Have a pen and a post0it note pad nearby and invite people to write something they love about the town – this shows that Valentine’s Day does not to be about romantic love, it’s about helping people connect with what they love.

Offer a free card selection service. Help people unsure about what card to choose to buy from you.

Offer free training or help with what to write on a card.

Share stories on social media that expand the appeal of the season.

Create a photo opportunity. Create somewhere people can come and be photographed. You could even have an Instax camera there for photos to be taken and put on a wall in your shop.

Pitch non traditional items as Valentine’s Day gifts. here are some ideas:

  • A squishy toy because you make be squishy with love.
  • Marbles because I’m marbles to love you.
  • A superhero products because you are my superhero.
  • A jigsaw so I have more time to spend with you.
  • A journal so you can write how much you love me every day.
  • Photo frames with cool and on-trend love messages.
  • A whoopee cushion because we share everything.
  • Cards Against Humanity because if we can survive this we can survive anything.
  • An Affirmations inspirations box as it brings my encouragement to your work desk.
  • A unicorn because rainbows = love.
  • A music themed mug or other item that connects with a band or song that has special meaning.
  • A plush item so you have something to hug when I am not around.

By embracing the broader spirit of Valentine’s Day and showcasing creative gift ideas, local retailers can not only boost sales but also become a cherished part of their community. This Valentine’s Day, let your shop be a hub of love, laughter, and unique expressions of affection, reminding everyone that love comes in many forms and can be celebrated in countless ways.

What you achieve from Valentine’s Day 2025 is dependent on what you invest in the outcome. Putting stock out is not enough for you to stand out and be talked about among friends. Be engaged. have fun. Make Valentine’s Day this year your best ever.

5 likes
marketing tip

Why your local newsagency is the BEST place to shop for Christmas cards this year

When it comes to finding the perfect Christmas card, support your local newsagent, a local mbusiness that supports the local community.

Here’s why you should choose your local newsagent:

  • Aussie made. Many local newsagencies sell Australian made cards. Buying Australian made cards puts more Aussies in work: card designers, card writers, local printers, local card finishers. These are all local jobs that benefit our wonderful country.
  • A Local Touch: Your local newsagent is a part of your community. When you shop there, you’re helping to keep local jobs and supporting other local businesses.
  • Giving Back: Many newsagents offer a range of charity cards, supporting organisations like the McGrath Foundation, Make-A-Wish, Beyond Blue, and the RSPCA. By choosing a charity card, you’re not only sending warm wishes but also making a positive impact.
  • Endless Choices: Newsagents have an incredible selection of Christmas cards. From funny to heartfelt, there’s something for everyone. You’ll find a wider variety of designs and messages than at big-box stores.
  • The Perfect Pair: Many newsagents also offer gifts across a range of price points.
  • Easy Shopping: Newsagents are known for their convenience. You can quickly grab your cards and gifts without the hassle of big crowds.

By choosing your local newsagent, you’re not just buying a card; you’re supporting your community. So, this Christmas, let’s spread some cheer and shop local.

Remember: When you shop local, you’re making a difference, because we’re making a difference.

Shopping local stimulates the local economy by keeping money within the community, supporting local jobs, and fostering a vibrant business environment. When you choose to shop at local businesses, you’re contributing to the unique character of your neighbourhood and helping to preserve its cultural heritage. Additionally, local businesses often have a strong commitment to sustainability and ethical practices, offering products that are environmentally friendly and socially responsible. By supporting local businesses, you’re making a positive impact on your community and the planet.

Your local newsagency is a vital local business. They choice you make to shop there is one for which everyone who relies on the business is grateful.

Have a wonderful Christmas.

22 likes
newsagency marketing

Check Christmas trading performance in your newsagency

Run a comparison report comparing performance in your business from November 1, 2024 to December 9 2024 compared to the same dates in 2024. If your business is like I have seen from plenty of other businesses today you should be seeing:

  • Card sales up 9%.
  • Gift sales up 21%.
  • Plush sales up 16%.
  • Toy sales up 15%.
  • Book sales up 12%.
  • Stationery sales up 4%
  • Magazine sales down 11%.
  • Newspaper sales down 12%.

These are the average results from 20+ different businesses. All high street though, no shopping centre businesses. Mor regional and rural than in the city. The best news is in the top five numbers.

In each of the businesses from which I have drawn data, they have made a conscious decision to pursue growth in one or more parts of the business while, at the same time, at least maintaining decaying product categories (i.e. not actively harming them).

What is most interesting in the data is that in more than half the businesses the growth was achieved off a flat transaction count. These businesses are getting existing customers spending more.

My point is that there are newsagents growing their businesses, achieving results of which they can be proud, results that deliver a healthier P&L.

Data like this is easy to access. if you have the industry standard Tower newsagency software, use the Monthly Sales Comparison Report. It’s the benchmark report for this type of analysis. I love this report. In seconds you can have your results and compare where your business is at. It’s the report I use.

I know of newsagents who wait for their accountant to produce a report on business performance. I think that takes too long and is too expensive. You can run this report today and have in no time at all valuable information to guide more moves you can make in your shop. Waiting for a non-retailer to tell you how you’re doing is old-school and, usually, unhelpful.

Take a look at your numbers. If they differ considerably from what I have noted here, reach out. I’d be happy to take a look for you. I am keen to help newsagents run healthy and profitable retail businesses. 

Our channel has come i9n for some negative reporting in the media this year. The best response we can have is to grow our businesses and, with this, flip the bird at ignorant reporters and media outlets.

11 likes
Newsagency management

How a no-frills POS software connected Shopify website has added $4,000 a week to my newsagency in the last 4 weeks

A few months ago, I embarked on a small experiment: building a website for a local suburban Melbourne shop, my newsXpress Mount Waverley shop,  on a tight budget and following the advice I give to other retailers.

The goal was to test the waters: to see what could be achieved with minimal investment, to see if the advice provided, when followed, is financially valuable.

Starting with a modest product range, the website quickly began generating sales. As I discuss in this video, which was shot late last week, in the seven weeks to filming, this simple online store has raked in over $18,000 without any additional marketing spend or inventory investment.

In the last week sales have surged further, the website has delivered over $5,000 in revenue in seven days. Not one sale has been to an existing customer. On top of this, the website has driven excellent growth in in-store shopper visitors: they find the product on line, find out where we are, and they shop in-store.

This video takes you behind the scenes on what we have been able to do through the Hugs and Love website integration with our Tower Systems newsagency POS software into the Shopify website.

The Hugs and Love website (www.hugsandlove.com.au) is a prime example of how seamlessly integrating Tower Systems POS software with Shopify can streamline online sales and fulfilment processes for local businesses. This powerful combination allows businesses to efficiently manage their inventory, process orders, and fulfil purchases both in-store and online. By leveraging the strength of these two platforms, local shops can:

  • Expand their reach: Attract new customers and increase sales beyond their physical storefront.
  • Simplify operations: Streamline inventory management and order processing, saving time and reducing errors.
  • Enhance customer experience: Offer a convenient and efficient online shopping experience.

The experience with this website has been valuable in helping us see what is possible in the shop.

I am always telling retailers who are creating their first website to launch early and launch often. Where we started with Hugs and Love in terms of products is different to where we are at today. We quickly discovered opportunities, and we leaned (hard) into them. This has been a key factor in making money. It has also provided a runway into 2025.

I see newsagents, and other retailers, make mistakes with their websites, big mistakes, expensive mistakes. Keeping it simple and developing on a frugal budget is best. Having as much control yourself as possible is key too. 

The most important advice that the Hugs and Love experience has reinforced is that a good website is a good plan B. It provides you opportunities outside of the shop you know, in case you want an option away from the shop.

Now, here’s the pitch: what I’ve done with www.hugsandlove.com.au is bring together the newsXpress retail experience and the Tower Systems newsagency software experience to create a solution that could work in any newsagency regardless of location or size. As I said, it’s a pitch. It’s also an explanation of how you can make money: take the Tower tech, the newsXpress expertise, a frugal budget and some of your time and you can achieve a return on investment that is likely to be better than the return you are getting from your shop today.

When we consider the newsagency of the future, one option is that it is this, it is playing away from the boundaries of your four walls and the expectations and restrictions of the newsagency shingle. It is about harvesting shoppers far away from your business, learning form the data they share and turbocharging your business growth with almost no additional capex, labour investment or space investment – delivering bonus net profit to your bottom line.

I’d be happy to talk one on one with any newsagent on this 0418 321 338 or mark@towersystems.com.au) , to take you further behind the scenes or to verify any of the information I have provided here.

12 likes
Newsagency management

Cash continues to trump points in the loyalty stakes in newsagencies

Since Tower Systems launched discount vouchers in its newsagency software in February 2013, they have lead in the loyalty stakes, helping to drive terrific sales for newsagents.

I hear stories regularly of how shoppers have behaved on receiving a voucher, often looking around the shop for something else to purchase. The bigger the discount offered the more engaged them become in my experience.

The $11.18 discount offered on the voucher above will typically have no real cost to the business since the business has settings options with which to encourage shoppers to spend more than they might have usually spent. This is what a good loyalty program is about – encouraging shoppers to be more loyal than traditionally.

Discount vouchers are perfect for the times in which we find ourselves today: offering a cash discount off their next purchase captures the mind of and budget-conscious shopper.

Another thing to love about discount vouchers is that they are owned and run by the store, thereby helping to drive overall store performance. This is better for the local business than a specific supplier funded loyalty program that only seeks to drive sales of products from that supplier. That type of loyalty tends to be of lesser value to the local store.

The best loyalty program is one that lifts the overall business performance, rather than merely shifting sales between suppliers.

Points based loyalty programs have been ruined by supermarket behaviour. Most customers would not know the dollar value of a point if asked I suspect. My thinking is the value of points is the inverse of the money spent by a retailer promoting their points. Noisy points program marketing = lesser value for consumers.

Looking at shopper basket data from plenty of newsagencies where discount vouchers from the Tower Systems newsagency software has been used I can see that magazines continue to benefit – the magazine department accrues the least value in voucher dollars yet it benefits the most from purchases made with a voucher as part payment. There are some departments, however, where vouchers accrued and redeemed tend to match, demonstrating terrific efficiency.

If you are one of the 1800+ newsagents with the Tower Systems newsagency software and you’re not using discount vouchers, check them out, they could deliver a terrific bottom line performance boost.

16 likes
marketing tip

newsXpress funds card marketing program offering $500 worth of cards as a prize in each participating store

newsXpress has launched the Christmas in-store prize for its Seasonal Edge program – a program giving newsXpress members free prizes valued at between $350.00 and $500.00 to give away to a lucky winner in each newsXpress store.

newsXpress head office is funding the promotion. With membership growth, the investment is over $400,000 being spent to drive sales for newsXpress members.

newsXpress members have been provided digital collateral as well as professionally printed large-format posters for in-store display.

The promotion runs from now to the close of business December 24, 2024. Each card purchase is an opportunity for a customer to enter. Members get to manage this how you see fit. They can give an entry for each card in a purchase, or one entry per purchase.

The sole goal of this promotion is to help newsagents win more card sales.

It’s not supplier specific or card caption specific. This way customers aren encouraged to consider all cards and thereby, hopefully, shop the card department deeper than may usually be the case.

The first Seasonal Edge promotion was Father’s Day this year. Card sales in the month leading up to Father’s Day spiked, delivering industry leading same-store card sales growth in participating stores. This is what Seasonal Edge is all about.

newsXpress members don’t pay extra for it, it’s a bonus of being in the group.

Over the years I have seen too many supplier funded promotions that seek to drive sales for one supplier. In creating Seasonal Edge it was important to me that it served the needs of the retailer ahead of any single supplier. This is at the heart of the make up of this campaign. As we saw with Father’s Day, it works. The business is a winner, along with the lucky customer who wins the prize.

I know retailers love the promotion. I see it in their engagement in-store as well as on social media. The truly smart retailers use this on social media to drive shopper traffic, enhancing the win they achieve from the promotion.

While there is plenty of marketing noise leading up to Christmas, this campaign gives newsXpress members something different through which to pitch their businesses.

6 likes
newsagency marketing

Excellent charity boxed Christmas cards kick off 2025 Christmas card season sales

I am seeing excellent newsagency charity boxed Christmas card sales already this year with sales significantly up on 2023.

For one of my newsagency businesses they are up 20%, off a strong number from 2023.

This growth has been driven, I think, by a few factors:

  1. An expansion of range. We have 50% more designs than last year. We source our cards from five different suppliers.
  2. The ability to capture sales online – 90% of online sales are to people nowhere near the business.
  3. A focus on charities first. Customers can buy by charity and many are. Boxed Christmas cards used to be arranged by design theme: religious, Australian, humour etc. Our charities first approach is paying off. Smart card publishers provide details on card packaging and the cards about the charity being supported,  offering another engagement point for customers.
  4. A secondary focus on Australian designs. Smart card publishers promote the Australian artist connection on their external product packaging.
  5. Going out early. The money we have stock it is out and being pitched.
  6. Marketing to previous customers. We know who they are and reach out to them to let them know what’s new and in.
  7. Tactical in-store placement so that every shopper passes the cards as they enter and leave the shop.

Charity boxed Christmas cards are a good fit for any newsagency business as the charities are local and this fits with the localness of the typical newsagency business.

On the topic of online sales, on Melbourne Cup day one of my shops that was closed for the whole day did over $500 in sales of charity boxed Christmas cards. That’s a good result given nothing was spent on marketing to achieve this. The key to the online success is the SEO work I have done to drive ranking for this website.

Charity boxed Christmas cards are an excellent opportunity for our channel. I think anyone not embracing them should consider doing so. They are an easy win, and they are a terrific opportunity to do good, I especially like this connection.

For a financial reference, for many years in my various newsagencies, sales of charity boxed Christmas cards have been 3 and, often, more times the dollar value of sales of single Christmas cards.

…

My newsXpress newsagency marketing group has, for many years, provided guidance and help to its members to maximise the charity boxed Christmas cards opportunity. Some of what I have covered above is based on that advice.

8 likes
newsagency marketing

News outlets talk newsagency businesses down, how can we change the narrative?

Newsagencies in decline as demand for online content outstrips print media.

It’s a headline from an ABC news story a few months ago, a story published online, on radio and on TV. I wrote about it here at the time.

The story, reporting on the closure of Mansfield Newsagency in Victoria, failed to adequately report on the state of Australian newsagencies. So called experts failed to present accurate current information about the health of local newsagency businesses.

While there have been newsagency closures, the numbers are not huge, not as big as we see in retail channels.

The ABC News story is another in a series of reports by the ABC and other mainstream media outlets in Australia to properly report on the state of Australian newsagencies. While there are businesses struggling, there are more thriving, growing.

Let’s all work at pushing back on the cliché narrative about our channel.

Rather than complain about the failures of news media and some others to adequately represent our channel, here are steps I think we can all take in our newsagency businesses.

On social media, engage with content that is different to what people expect from a newsagency. That means posting less about magazines and lottery products and more about unique gifts, clothing, books and toys you may sell.

In your social media posts, talk about what you love, and why. Write your gratefulness for local Aussie products you have been able to find for your business. Appreciate local community groups you can support thanks to the support of your customers.

In your front window pitch products people do not expect to see in their local newsagency. Your front window display has one job: to get people to notice it. Hopefully, they stop and look, and then step inside. Your window display must crash assumptions. It must be bold.

At your counter pitch products people do not associate with a newsagency counter. This means no chewing gum, everyday candy or similar. Have products people don’t associate with you. However, the need to be products easily purchased on impulse.

From the front door and for the first 3 metres inside the shop pitch products people do not expect to see in a newsagency. And, change how it is displayed weekly. You want people saying things like this is nothing like a newsagency or every time I come here it’s changed. These types of comments tell you that you are getting things right.

The key to each of these steps is you offering in your newsagency business products people do not usually associate with a newsagency. That means buying from suppliers who do not traditionally supply newsagencies or go to the trade shows you might typically attend.

Playing outside what is expected for your type of business is key to you pushing back against the narrative of mainstream media that: Newsagencies in decline as demand for online content outstrips print media.

The decline in print media, which is between 10% and 12% a year currently, has nothing to do with newsagency closures in my opinion.

Some newsagency shops close because the lease is at an end and the owner has plans for elsewhere. Most close, however, because the newsagency is not relevant to today, which brings us back to product. The products you offer in your shop are the best way you can state your purpose, show your difference, ensure your relevance locally, and online.

It’s hard work, every day. As retailers who own and run our own businesses, we choose this. Our future is ours to make, and in doing so we need to take every opportunity to push back against the ill-informed narrative about our channel put about by mainstream media.

6 likes
Newsagency management
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