Seventy percent of stores have increased the space they give to DVDs in the past two years, while 40% have cut the room given to rock/alternative music, according to the latest Christian Retailing magazine Vital Signs industry survey.

Three in five stores have increased their SKU counts for Bibles, while 51% were stocking more devotionals than they were two years ago. On the other side of the scale, 40% have diminished inventory for framed art. Apparel inventory was down in 31% of stores and up in 24%.

Meanwhile, stores were evenly split on their approach to changes in criteria for introducing products they "might not have carried" in years past.

Just over half (52%) reported that their selection criteria was narrower than it used to be, and 48% said they were stocking a broader range of products. One owner commented on a shift in her mission, saying the store was "becoming more and more like real life--a Christian living center."

New retail technologies are a long way from being commonplace in Christian stores. Just one in three stores reported having a system where shoppers can select songs and have them burned to a CD in the store. Cost and lack of awareness were the main reasons given for not offering such a service.

Read the full Vital Signs survey report in the Sept. 21 issue of Christian Retailing.

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