Cherie and Tom Gregory—owners of The Potter's House Parable Christian Store in Valdosta, Ga., for more than 30 years—took on the sales spot at Valdosta Mall in September.

Showcasing gift company P. Graham Dunn's laser-engraving system, the kiosk features a catalog with different products that customers can choose from, including keychains, magnets, ornaments, pens, cutting boards and knives. The kiosk also features some books and items that are available at the 10,000-square-foot store, located several miles away.

"We're hoping to draw customers here to the big store, which is about 10-15 minutes away," Cherie Gregory said. "It's really an experiment. It's been an interesting experience. We've had to train four new employees."

After doing well sales-wise with Dunn's laser system in their store last Christmas, the couple acquired a second engraving machine specifically to have "a Christian bookstore presence" at the mall, she added.

Parable Franchise Coach John Strifler credited the Gregorys for becoming aware of available kiosks at the mall. "The purpose was not to duplicate the incredible experience from their full-service store across town," Strifler told Christian Retailing. "Rather, they sought to enhance the impression of the store to the customer traffic at the mall by offering a service appropriate to a kiosk."

Read the full report in the December issue of Christian Retailing.

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