TYPE: Chain
Region: Midwest
Location: On a major street, next to store
advertised by gigantic barstools at one end of the parking lot.
APPEARANCE:
INVENTORY:
STAFF:

External appearance: Pull-up parking spots by the front door were especially appreciated after negotiating around orange construction barrels on the street in front of the store.

Window display: Each full-length window on either side of the glass door was almost completely filled with a single, large pre-buy product poster. A neat “open” sign on the door included store hours: “10 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 12-5 p.m. Sunday.”

Entrance: A red tablecloth with sale T-shirts directly in front; a stack of blue shopping baskets to the right. 

Layout and inventory: A clean, well-lit gift area to the right and a huge bargain area to the left—a mini-store, actually. Everything in this department was well-organized in clearly marked categories. Sale product was as neatly displayed as non-sale items.

Farther to the right, a huge room for Bibles included one wall for church resources, including bulletins and communion ware. Even the three units for Bible covers were neat. Another stack of blue shopping baskets in this room was a good sales technique that also reflected attentive customer service. A small round table in the middle of the room with two chairs was ideally situated for comparing Scripture studies and Bible products.

At the back of the main store, a wedding-invitation book lay open on a round table set with three chairs—handy to use when reviewing curriculum, which was also in this area. Two large, blue overstuffed chairs sat in the back. A listening bar was tucked into the large music section, which included a large, completely stocked Hal Leonard sheetmusic rack. Wellness videos were shelved underneath a blank TV screen.

The sage green and ivory décor colors contributed to a restful and calm atmosphere. At least 20 customers were in the store during this visit, but because the store was so large, it never felt crowded.

Appearance: Neat, clean, tidy. 

Staff: When we entered, one frontliner was reading backcover copy to a customer on the phone. The other frontliner was in an aisle assisting a customer.

Both young, female frontliners were extremely busy during our entire midweek afternoon visit. At checkout time I was the fifth customer in line, while the other frontliner assisted a customer in the store.

When she returned to the second register, the line still moved slowly, in part because both she and her associate were so helpful.

One of them alerted the customer in front of us how to save money by buying a specific version of a book. Then when my companion’s number didn’t come up in the database of the chain’s frequent-buyer club, the frontliner took his card and re-entered all the information. Impressive.

Verdict: Why the televisions? Every screen in the store was turned off.

As inventory shifts, make sure shelf labels match products—a large display of Mission City Press dolls and wardrobe items were displayed under a section labeled “videos.”

If this were your regular store? Great.

Would a non-Christian feel comfortable here? Yes, but perhaps more important, the shopper could get intelligent assistance from staff.

What will you remember of your visit a week from now? Staff makes a huge difference. In two previous visits in the last five years, the store had always been large and well-stocked, but very impersonal. This time there was excellent customer service. Chain stores are frequently criticized for poor customer service and sometimes limited inventory. This store was exemplary in all categories.

THE STORE MANAGER RESPONDS:
I was most pleased to receive information from your magazine about a mystery shop that was done at our store. While I appreciated your feedback regarding our merchandising, signing, layout and inventory levels, I especially appreciated your comments about the staff at our store. We do attempt to make the environment aesthetically pleasant for our customers, but are even more cognizant of our responsibility to them from a ministering standpoint.

You are so correct when you state that “staff makes a huge difference.” I am so blessed to have a staff that is not only knowledgeable but also a staff that cares about our customers and our store. Having been in retail management for more than 20 years with a variety of retailers, I realize that is something that cannot be trained but must come from within. I encourage all of your readers to support their local Christian bookstore, as I am convinced that it is there they will find the type of people who really care.