Helen Dowling, the General Manager of Newspower, sent out marketing on June 25, 2024 comparing their offer to newsagents with other groups. newsXpress is one of those other groups. I am the Managing Director of newsXpress Pty Ltd.
Newspower failed to reach out to newsXpress to check whether what they were about to claim was accurate. They should have.
I reached out to Helen Dowling and to Graeme Hand, the Chairman of Newspower. Helen responded: It is not Newspower’s intention to provide misleading information. I would be interested in knowing from Newsxpress what you believe the misleading information is in the comparison document.
Here’s the response I sent to Helen:
Thank you for acknowledging that you did not undertake research prior to publishing your document.
- newsXpress provides in-store visits from a business development manager.
- newsXpress provides visual merchandising materials including posters and on-location call-outs for all major seasons.
- newsXpress have access to a member only portal with a fully populated knowledge base and extensive business development resources.
- newsXpress members have access to a digital collateral library and cloud based resources for easy store level customisation.
- newsXpress members have access to a full video library of social media collateral and easy access to store level customisation.
- newsXpress offers signage and graphic design services at no cost.
- Rather than access to an Are Media account manager we provide a whole of magazine category problem resolution service. For free.
- Rather than a free postage for Christmas cards offer we provide free exclusive high-quality cards for Christmas for captions not covered by card companies.
- Each member has access to a dedicated and retail experienced business development manager.
- newsXpress helps with Google Business, Bing, and various maps profile setup and maintenance.
These are the things we do that your marketing claims we do not do.
Your marketing fails to highlight many things we do that Newspower does not do.
Helen has not responded to my email. I am not aware of Newspower publishing a correction. If they have not done so, it is disappointing that they have allowed marketing that they know contains false and misleading information to remain out there under their name.
There are four groups serving the newsagency channel. Newspower, newsXpress, nextra and The Lucky Charm. The last two, from what I understand, operate under the franchise code of conduct. Please let me know if I’m wrong about that.
The four groups are very different from each other. Here’s what I think separates newsXpress apart:
- It leverages the common ownership of Tower Systems (the most widely used software in the newsagency channel) and newsXpress for evidence based guidance to more profitable business decisions. Through this, it also offers half price websites.
- It offers innovative pricing for EFTPOS, lower cost than least cost routing.
- newsXpress offers bias-free data-based card performance analysis that typically results in an increase in card sales of 15% or more.
- Member businesses benefit from an exclusive $1,000+ a year per store in-store marketing campaign – provided at no cost to the members.
- newsXpress runs a national in person conference with free accommodation for 2 nights and all meals covered.
- newsXpress helps newsagents with practical business advice, in-store support, awesome supplier deals and plenty of new traffic generating exclusive products.
- newsXpress directly owns and runs shops as testing grounds for innovation, sharing results with members.
- newsXpress direct imports good margin products.
- newsXpress is the only group to have authorised account access to four different Mints for access to new coin releases.
- newsXpress has suppliers who otherwise will not supply newsagents.
What you do in and for your business is 100% up to you.
If you could use support and want fresh ideas for attracting new shoppers, consider newsXpress. Call Michael on 0400 331 055 or email help@newsxpress.com.au to find out more.
If you join, the newsXpress team will do all they can to help you run a more profitable and enjoyable business. Email help@newsXpress.com.au or call Michael on 0400 331 055.
If you’re on LinkedIn, here’s me in case you want to research me a bit more: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-fletcher-tower/
Mark Fletcher
Managing Director
newsXpress Pty Ltd
www.newsxpress.com.au
ABN 61 007 009 752 3A Lynch Street Hawthorn VIC 3122
M | 0418 321 338 E | mark@newsxpress.com.au
Mark have you heard anything back from Helen?
Kate, nothing at all from Graeme Hand and nothing from Helen Dowling other than what I included in the post.
People can draw their own conclusions from the lack of response. In my opinion, it indicates they are not interested in correcting what I have advised is false and misleading information published by Newspower.
Newspower says it offers subsidised Newspower signage. I know of 4 Newspower newsagent shops within an hour of where I live and they each have a different Newspower logo. Talk about inconsistent.
What money does the 4-7 Facebook posts a week do for a newspower business I wonder what actual money they are making for a newspower shop. Theyre promoting magazines more than anything else and the posts are okay but not local or entertaining. If that’s what you want it’s okay I guess.
It’s Newspower. All you can do is feel sorry for them.
I am surprised Newspower published this list as it is so easy for a Newspower newsagent to tick off what they either don’t receive or is of no commercial value to them. Comparative advertising is useless unless you have done the comparison, which Newspower appears to not have done in this instance.
Any response Mark?
Unfortunately David no response from Newspower. My guess is that they think ignoring it will make it not a thing. They made it a thing when they published a document claiming they offered services no other group offered that I now for sure, newsXpress does offer. They amplifies the thing when they did not retract their misleading material once I wrote to them demonstrating it was misleading.
The lack of response to Newspower speaks to who they are and how they operate in my opinion.
I would not give newspower a second thought. They were irrelevant ten years ago and nothing has changed. When I was a member they acted like tired public servants and looking at what they do now nothing has changed. I suspect the people making the most money out of newspower are the people who work for newspower. Move on.
The issue for me Peter is apparent deliberate misrepresentation. In my opinion, it speaks to the ethics of those in the business deciding to behave this way and that plays into the capacity of the organisation to actually help newsagents. Again, tho, my opinion only I don’t want another lawyer’s letter from Newspower.