Retail channel awareness effort gets extended for second year, providing longer promotion window

For its second year, the national event promoting Christian retail will become Christian Store Week, Oct. 1-10. The channel awareness effort will also have broader involvement, with lead sponsor CBA anticipating all the major chains participating.

The extended time frame will provide a longer promotion window that covers multiple weekends, plus the Columbus Day holiday, "which is typically a high-traffic day at retail," said CBA Manager of Strategic Partnerships Eric Grimm.

In its debut effort Oct. 23 last year, Christian Store Day raised $60,000 to aid in relief efforts for Haiti through a compilation benefit CD. Almost 500 stores took part in the event, which included giveaways, specials and in-store appearances by local authors and artists.

A task force of industry vendors and retailers was finalizing event details in preparation for a late April announcement to include details of promotions from major vendors. The task force includes representatives from Family, LifeWay and Berean Christian Stores, Cokesbury, Mardel Christian & Education and Parable, Munce and Covenant groups and the Association of Logos Bookstores.

Plans for 2011 involve making it possible for more suppliers to participate. "Different levels of participation are being identified that will help support proposed advertising and promotion of the event, while offering greater consumer exposure for sponsors," said Grimm. "The key goals are to raise awareness of Christian stores and their ministry role in their local communities and drive new customers to stores."

Going public early with details for Christian Store Week—along with news of a new ministry partner—will give retailers time to maximize store promotions, complete store planning "and begin to engage their communities," Grimm said.

The Christian Store Week initiative is being led by CBA in association with the Christian Music Trade Association and the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association. Nashville-based Propeller consultancy is again acting as facilitator.

"We found last year that those retailers who planned ahead, promoted the event, created store excitement and worked in partnership with local churches, ministries and other outreach programs had the most success," Grimm told Christian Retailing. "More than 70% of participating stores reported sales gains over the previous year. Through ministry partners and online partner advertising, the campaign generated more than 1.5 million advertising impressions."

Non-CBA-member stores are being invited to join the campaign. "We recognize that some stores have great business challenges now, which is why we are working to drive traffic and new customers to stores," Grimm said. "CBA changed its store-locator policy last year so all Christian stores would be listed on the store-locator to help consumers find Christian resources and materials."

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