STORE PROFILE

TYPE: chain

REGION: southeast

LOCATION: At the end of a suburban strip "food row," next to a Japanese restaurant with prominent visibility from two sides.

10-POINT RATING

Appearance: 10

Inventory: 10

Staff: 4

Overall: 80%

External appearance: Large red store letters above the red and white striped awning that was above each store, including this bookstore.

Window display: Fourteen full-length windows along the store side with pull-up parking. Through the windows, Willow Tree figurines were individually displayed on tiered tables, plus a variety of gift products were neatly organized. The gift section looked expansive, as it appeared there were other rooms even beyond this large front section.

Entrance: Posters were on the doors as well as a small "Now hiring" sign and the store hours. Customers walked through a security pass-through.

Eco-friendly shopping bags were priced at $1.49, while Day Brighteners and other miscellaneous gifts were to the left on low slatwall with the registers beyond.

To the right were several cardboard dumps, a stack of shopping baskets plus blue- and red-covered sale tables, one featuring tees and caps priced at $9.97.

Layout and inventory: Large signs hung above each section: gifts to the right, books at center, kids at back and to the left, Bibles, music and church supplies.

The gift area felt so spacious. Products were neatly organized and nicely displayed. A wide doorway in an angled, free-standing wall gave a sense of depth and intimacy in the large space. Curved molding on the wall above the doorway added a classy touch. Beyond the wall, even more gifts—what a huge store.

The children's department was at store back under a large black curved strip decorated with colored stars that matched the black starry rug in the area. Five rounders set along the right perimeter of the rug created an appropriate line of demarcation between the children's area and gift department. A child-sized, round table and four chairs sat in front of the television that was showing a video—though no children were in the store. Slatwall displayed product on the back wall. At the front of the rug, Guitar Praise and Dance Praise boxes leaned against a VeggieTales cardboard dump.

There were comfortable chairs in several locations, including near the books at store center. All books were face-front on units with four shelves. The height of the shelving made it easy to look across the store.

All types of music were clearly labeled and neatly organized, with print music on the wall under "music accessories." Children's music bridged the children's and music departments; a Dance Praise pad on the floor with a guitar was strategically placed between the children's and music departments, so there was a natural flow.

The large sign above "church supplies" was an all-encompassing term for a wide variety of products—three shelves of communion plates, a shelf of communion cups, two shelves of bulletins, communion bread, boxes with candelight service materials and a Murphy robe rack. There were also Bible studies, teaching resources, youth materials and VBS kits. Two additional chairs and a small end table were positioned in front of a TV playing a World Vision video.

Appearance: Pristine.

Staff: They were very neatly dressed, but it was disconcerting when on two occasions, an employee passed me in an aisle and didn't say anything.

Verdict: The organization of this store was sensible and easy to follow. The store designer also made excellent use of the large arrows in the carpeting to direct the eye toward the Top 10 in the music department and the television in the children's area.

Consider adding a small table by the chairs in front of the home school section to make it easier for customers to examine curriculum.

It would also be more pleasant if the door to the workroom at store back was closed. Customers should not be able to see the trash bags there.

If this were your regular store? I would love it.

Would a non-Christian feel comfortable here? Yes, as long as he knew what he wanted.

What will you remember of your visit a week from now? The excellent use of color coding for sale items. Throughout the store, I perked up whenever I saw yellow shelftalkers or signs, because yellow meant "sale" or "clearance." I walked through every single aisle, simply to look for that colored signage. I felt like I was on a treasure hunt, so it was a fun visit.

The store declined to respond.

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