Denver-the site of the International Christian Retail Show (ICRS), which runs through today-has truly been the Mile High City for several exhibitors.

"It's been a phenomenal business at ICRS for us," Bob Taylor, CEO of Things Not Seen (TNS) Clothing & Accessories, said. "We're amazed. The first day of the show for retailers is usually a day of looking and gathering their thoughts. But our existing major accounts have come by already and increased orders. We've already added eight to 10 new retailers."

The movie about saving lives that has saved marriages has also saved some Christian bookstores. The makers of Fireproof, who also co-authored the best-selling tie-in book The Love Dare, told yesterday how they have heard from Christian retailers who attribute strong sales of the book-now with 3 million in print-and DVD to keeping them in business.

Teen issue authors Michael and Hayley DiMarco head out from Denver on an ambitious, long-distance project to give the Bible a fresh, "authentic" voice, and raise awareness of a growing social problem.

The husband-and-wife team whose Hungry Planet publishing enterprise has seen more than 30 books released in the last six years, will be traveling around 10,000 miles in the next few months to record the entire New Testament using homeless narrators.

Touring the country with their 3-year-old daughter in a 40-foot mobile home, the DiMarcos will be recruiting volunteer narrators through homeless ministries for the project, using the New Living Translation and due to be released by Tyndale House Publishers.

The couple will be writing and video-journaling about their trip, and posting resources on their Web site, www.hpbp.org, that will give ways for readers to get involved in local community projects. Michael DiMarco said the new Bible recording was intended for the generation to which he and his wife were committed, which "connects with social justice and authenticity, grittiness and rawness."

As The Hungry Planet Bible Project gets under way, Tyndale is preparing the release of No Room at the Inn: An Advent Devotional Experience, which features a narration by the homeless of the Christmas story. The Hungry Planet Bible Project New Testament is a special edition created for mass distribution to food pantries, homeless shelters and organizations serving the poor and needy.

Billed as a way to offer "real help for your business," the first Product Intelligence Tour kicked off Monday afternoon at the International Christian Retail Show. Crossway's Bill Anderson gave a presentation on Bible sales to a group of around 30 independent retailers.

Anderson presented some statistics on Bible sales in general, explaining that Bible sales generally account for 15% of a bookstore's business. Although he explained that the company has "come pretty late" to Bible sales, debuting the English Standard Version (ESV) translation in 2001, he also offered suggestions to help retailers market them.

"Where the Bible department is in your store is crucial," he said, adding that Bibles are typically the products that provoke the most questions from customers.

Anderson also gave the retailers some questions to consider in how to market their Bibles, whether categorizing them by translations, felt needs or a mix of the two, also asking customers such questions as, "How will you use this Bible?"

Anderson also spoke on Crossway's recent success with the English Standard Version (ESV) translation and the ESV Study Bible. He announced that the company's Bible sales have increased 94% from the previous 12 months, also noting that 55% of its Bibles sales came through Christian retail. "You are very important to us," he said.

Betty Ligon of Victory Christian Center in Philadelphia attended the event and said it was "definitely" worth the time and $10 admission. She attended the seminar, she said, because "I love Bibles and want to learn how to sell them more effectively."

Fiction buyers are the most frequent purchasers in Christian bookstores, said Steve Oates, vice president of marketing for Bethany House Publishers, during the Product Intelligence Tour on fiction held Monday and repeated Wednesday.

Oates gave the dozen retailers in attendance a detailed assessment of fiction buyers and how to serve them in local bookstores.

"In a world where only 20-25% of Christian books are sold through a Christian bookstore, how can I become the store of choice for the Christian fiction customer?" he asked.

To answer that question, Oates presented advice, including thinking like a consumer, assessing the strengths and weaknesses of competitors and developing a relationship with the customer. For customers asking about future releases in series, a common query among Christian fiction readers, Oates suggested stores respond by offering a dollar off for those willing to place a pre-release order.

Addressing the weaknesses of big-box stores compared to Christian retail, Oates highlighted the difficulty in shipping books to arrive at the same time and told retailers: "Barnes and Noble still can't get it as quickly as you can on your shelves."

Jeanette Webster, owner of Source of Light Bible Bookstore in Jamaica, said the seminar would help her market fiction in her store. She said price point, however, was still a major concern.

"As a Third World country, I'd rather have the price points lower," she said. "My younger customers are looking for books in their price range."

She added that younger shoppers are also looking for fiction in more contemporary settings.

Best-selling novelist Karen Kingsbury served as host during the International Christian Retail Show Heart of the Author Luncheon, held in the Korbel Ballroom on Tuesday with an attendance of around 200.

Retailers received a crash course on making an impact by merchandising gifts, but they were also treated to "a great hands-on clinic" on inspirational products during a Product Intelligence Tour.

"If you want to stay in business to sell books and Bibles, gifts can really help you," said Michelle Amster, president of store design firm Integra GP, who presented the tour Monday and Tuesday.

Amster advised retailers to use seasonal displays, fabric, floral, acrylic risers and furniture pieces to spotlight their gift sections. She then asked the gift sellers to break up into groups to help create an attractive display of themed gifts-wedding, baby, Easter, Christmas and Father's/Mother's Day products-using five separate tables.

Kymburly Odell, gift buyer of The Master's Parable Christian Store in Clovis, N.M., told Christian Retailing that the product tour was informative. "It's a great hands-on clinic," she said. "It's a great way to incorporate the vendors who are here with their products in a hands-on experience for retailers."

The gift-merchandising tour was sponsored by Christian Tools of Affirmation, Dicksons, His Gem, Lighthouse Christian Products, Rhode Island Novelty and Scripture Candy.

Penny Adickes, assistant manager of Living Word Christian Store in Onalask, Wis., said the product tour "really helpful," adding: "It reinforced some of the things I already knew, but it also gave me some new ideas. The hands-on training was good. I used to be a school teacher, and I'm used to doing things hands-on."