The new category delivering $900 a week

Some months ago newsXpress released the My Family sticker range from The Sticker Family.  Like all newsXpress offers, it was not mandatory – members can choose which offers they take up and which they do not.

Almost since the launch of the stickers, we have been selling $900 (ex GST) and often more a week worth of these stickers in one of my newsagencies.

newsXpress negotiated a group wide discounted price and backed the opportunity with a package of strategies and tactics designed to help newsXpress members make the most of the opportunity.  Embracing these strategies and tactics was optional for newsXpress members.

I know of some newsagents who heard about the Sticker Family range long before newsXpress got involved who did not think this range appropriate to a newsagency business.  The key was to delve into the product range, research consumer motivation, develop a pitch which works with the newsagency customer and back this with appropriate collateral.  It is the total package which has got me to the $900 a week which I am seeing.

Granted, I am getting this result in a major shopping centre situation.  Still, I am happy not only with the $900 a week revenue boost but am also loving the excellent margin, that customers attracted to buy the stickers buy other items and that some customers shopping for cards, magazines and newspapers buy stickers on impulse.  The range is a winner on many fronts.

My analysis suggests that the total boost in weekly revenue driven by the stickers is around $1,400 a week ex GST.

I like the stickers because they are a habit based product, they appeal to families and they generate good word of mouth.  Three key factors for newsagents in today’s market.

Any retailer can access this range.  Success will depend on the value you add as a retailer in terms of strategies and tactics to underpin the range … as is the case with so much of what we sell.

Just putting a product out is not enough in retail today.  We need to be fully engaged to attract shoppers and convert their presence into dollars.

I don’t make a point of talking about many of the  newsXpress success stories here as to do so would not be fair to the newsagents who pay newsXpress to access the point of difference the group delivers. I am making an exception this time as the product is so well established across the group.