Bargain book guidelines and social media strategies were among the retail lessons offered at the Munce CPE (Christian Products Expo) in Lancaster, Pa., yesterday.

Around 100 store representatives heard David Almack, national director and publisher at CLC USA, with four CLC Bookcenters in the Philadelphia area and New Jersey, and Suzanne Kuhn, owner of author events company Suzy Q, with 20 years’ experience with a regional bookstore chain, share some of their experiences and ideas.

Almack told of having been “an elitist” opposed to bringing in bargain books for fear that they would “junk up” his stores, before recognizing that the widening availability of Christian products—often at lower prices than he could offer—meant that he had to change his way of doing business.

With careful selection of titles and a system for further discounting them to ensure that they moved, bargain books had helped position his stores “as a place where people can find deals,” he said. “We have to be sensitive to price issues.”

To make the best use of discount books, Kuhn recommended using as point of purchase specials, multiple pricing—such as $7.99 each or three for $21—and bundling them with existing products.

Striking displays were important for cut-price books, but they should not be too neat, she said. “Make sure that it looks like it has already been shopped. If it’s too perfect, people are afraid to touch it.”

Though roughly two-thirds of attendees raised their hands to indicate their stores had a Facebook page, only three responded when Almack asked who used Twitter for their business.

“If you are not prepared to own and know social media, you will lose the next generation of people you want to shop in your store,” he warned.  It was one of the most inexpensive and effective tools they could use, “but if you think it’s simply an add-on to everything else you are doing, you have a misconception.”

Social media was not so much about making money, he said, as “developing a larger community and interest in your store and your products.”

More than 70 exhibitors are taking part in the trade show at the event, which ends today.