They see advantages if more independents were to join forces; if data collection and reporting were consolidated; and if best-seller lists were combined.

Their support for such efforts was revealed by Christian Retailing's latest Vital Signs survey, which explored the effects of consolidation and fragmentation in the Christian products industry.

In addition to finding backing for joint initiatives, the survey found that a significant number of retailers--47%--are buying from fewer individual vendors than they were five years ago.

While trade show attendance has fallen in all industries, retailers and suppliers who attend Christian trade shows agreed on the top three reasons for the decline as: the availability of product information online (60%), no urgency to attend (57%) and a greater use of online product ordering (54%).

Christian retailers and their suppliers also agreed, by a wide margin, that a consolidated trade show sponsored by the industry's three trade associations--CBA, the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association and the Gospel Music Association--would be "likely to succeed."

Nearly nine in 10 retailers (88%) and just over three-quarters of suppliers (77%) agreed that a combined trade show would "save on travel expenses" and would be "easier to schedule" than the current model of each association holding separate events.

Read the full Vital Signs report in the July 6 issue of Christian Retailing.

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