Christian Retailing

Trust goes a long way with homeschoolers Print Email
Written by Sarah Rice   
Friday, 13 March 2015 10:55 AM America/New_York

Showing home educators you’re in their court has the potential to grow store sales

F-Rice HomeshchoolHome education is now legal in every state, and with a second generation of homeschool kids being raised by parents who were themselves homeschooled, Christian retailers need to take note of this growing market. There are an estimated 2.5 million children being homeschooled in the U.S. today, and with home educators spending an average of $1,000 annually per child on curriculum and supplies, the market is one Christian retailers cannot afford to ignore.

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Charismatic authors expand reach Print Email
Written by Troy Anderson & Natalie Gillespie   
Friday, 13 March 2015 10:39 AM America/New_York

Fastest-growing segment of the church helps build consumer market for best-selling authors, Spirit-focused topics

Charismatic-books IMG 6875Amid the burgeoning Jesus Movement and charismatic renewal, Lloyd Hildebrand began his publishing career in 1969—packing books in the back room of a jewelry store that doubled as a publishing company.

At the time—shortly before Time magazine’s “The Jesus Revolution” cover story would bring worldwide attention to the phenomenon—Hildebrand’s fledgling company, Logos International Fellowship, published Run Baby Run by Nicky Cruz with Jamie Buckingham.

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Preparing your store for spring Print Email
Written by Amelia Nizynski   
Wednesday, 04 February 2015 04:23 PM America/New_York

Season’s holidays mark big moments and sales opportunities

TheBookery-MenThe spring holiday selling season is quickly approaching. With customers planning their Easter, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and graduation celebrations, as a Christian retailer, you need to prepare your store for each of these opportunities.

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Reaching the academic reader Print Email
Written by Louis McBride   
Wednesday, 04 February 2015 04:08 PM America/New_York

Catering to a neglected niche customer may just pay off

DSC02245Most CBA market stores have such a minor “academic” book section it is probably not much more than a 4-foot shelf. The section is sparsely populated with a few Bible commentaries, a Bible handbook and maybe, if you’re daring, a systematic theology. Who reads this stuff, and why should your store carry it? Good questions. Let’s do a little history first.

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Serving Bible shoppers—it’s all about them Print Email
Written by Doug Lockhart   
Wednesday, 04 February 2015 03:59 PM America/New_York

How to best help your store’s customers as you put the Scriptures into their hands

HCCP-image-1-topAfter rejoining the commercial Christian publishing industry for the second time recently, I was excited when Christian Retailing asked me to write an article about selling Bibles. It has been striking to see how much has changed and yet how much has remained the same.

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Celebrating 60 years of ‘Christian Retailing’ Print Email
Written by Christine D. Johnson   
Wednesday, 04 February 2015 03:44 PM America/New_York

Sixty years ago, a trade magazine was launched to serve the burgeoning Christian retail industry. Known at its start in 1955 as Christian Bookseller, the publication that later was renamed Christian Retailing now is going through another significant innovation in response to the changing business environment.

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Building your business Print Email
Written by C. Britt Beemer & Carol Schroede   
Wednesday, 04 February 2015 03:33 PM America/New_York

Two experts offer tips for your Christian retail store

Britt-Beemer

Looking to learn from the broader retail environment, we asked two retail experts to answer some key questions for Christian retailers. Consider how these responses from Britt Beemer of America’s Research Group and Carol Schroeder of Orange Tree Imports might apply to your store.

Carol-Schroeder

What are one or two things Christian retailers can learn from the larger market about key retail practices?

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7 trends that will affect your store this year Print Email
Written by Dave Almack   
Wednesday, 04 February 2015 03:26 PM America/New_York

Christian retailers can meet customer needs in light of 21st-century cultural patterns

F AlmackThe Bible calls us to be “as wise as serpents and innocent as doves.” In 1 Chronicles 12:32, we are told about the men of Issachar who had “understanding of times and what Israel should do.” As you prepare for the year ahead, here are some important trends that you need to know about that will matter to your Christian retail store.

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UP-AND-COMING AUTHORS: Discovering great writers Print Email
Written by Ann Byle   
Wednesday, 07 January 2015 04:06 PM America/New_York

The future is bright in Christian publishing as new, talented authors are discovered. Each one of the following authors we’ve noted here has at least one book out or soon to be released, reaches out to readers online—through websites, blogs or social media—and points readers to the God they love and serve.

From a Lebanese-American emergency room doctor to the son of a famous theologian, from a woman writing for teen girls to a novelist offering gritty biblical tales for men—all offer readers a new perspective on life and writing.

Robin Barnett, senior publicist for Revell (Baker Publishing Group), sums up what publishers are looking for in an author they see as a rising star.

“We want to get a sense from the author that they have something to say. It doesn’t have to be revolutionary, but they should offer a new slant,” Barnett said.

She adds that publishers want authors who are engaged online, pointing to bloggers who already have created an audience who want to hear what they have to say.

“The quality of writing is important too,” Barnett said. “If an author doesn’t have the writing goods to follow up their first book, they won’t have a long career in publishing.”

The standards apply to fiction and nonfiction authors.

“We are looking for authors we can build past one book. This definitely applies to fiction, but also nonfiction,” she said. “If you get a good Christian Living author, you can work with them for years.”

Booksellers look for the same things in authors whose books they stock—longevity, good storytelling, an eagerness to connect with readers. The list below is a forecast for authors whose books Christian retailers should expect to see on store shelves for years to come.

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Encountering the mystery of the Shemitah Print Email
Written by Jonathan Cahn   
Wednesday, 05 November 2014 10:18 AM America/New_York

Could a mystery that began on a desert mountaintop in the Middle East 3,000 years ago possibly be determining the direction of world history, the course of our lives and the specific events that await us in the days ahead?

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