Why you must have a good-looking Web site

Even if you don't plan to do much Internet selling, an appealing online presence is absolutely vital—and doable 

Brick-and-mortar retailers may be committed to their physical operation, but having an online presence is still critical to building and maintaining their business.

While some Christian stores put significant time and energy into their Web sites, others go with the basics, recognizing that being online means regular or potential shoppers can find them and get a feel for the store before spending gas money—an increasingly important factor for many cost-conscious consumers—and taking the trip.

Do-It-Yourself might be fine at home, but unless you’re very Internet-savvy, it might be better to consider a template-driven service with minimal up-front cost, such as Innovative’s Signature Websites.

With a professional look, such an inexpensive site can help market your store 24/7 to anyone who comes across it while surfing the Internet or visits the site looking for a particular product. 

Web site service providers can also help stores reach their customers with email promotions, endcap signage and vendor-supported sale products. A significant benefit is that the store doesn’t have to stock all of the inventoried products at its physical location.

Many stores use Facebook—and it’s important to use this social-media platform, too—but a dedicated site for non-Facebook users is still needed. Don’t forget to provide your store’s Web address on your Facebook page, too.

KEEP IT UPDATED

A word to the wise—use spell-check on your Web site and double-check it yourself for errors. 

For instance, a Web site that does not capitalize “Bible” comes off as careless at least, and could even be considered as being disrespectful to God’s Word by some. 

Sites also need to be kept up-to-date. If your store was hosting an author signing three months ago or is highlighting an old VeggieTales DVD, it looks outdated and tired—and doesn’t attract new customers. 

Old blog entries and out-of-date events make for bad advertising. If you plan to use an events calendar to keep users current on Christian concerts, author signings or major church events, don’t let it lag behind. Assign someone on your staff to update it at least weekly. 

If you aren’t getting notice of events, check sites of Christian radio stations, local newspapers or major local churches to regularly freshen up the calendar. Be sure the photos and/or ads on your site don’t look dated either.

If you do build your own site, make sure it’s easy to navigate. Have a couple of people who are unfamiliar with your store test your Web site to see if they can find everything they’re looking for—store location, hours, particular products. 

Make it warm and friendly, too, by putting your personal name to it—your picture would be even better. Add something about the history of your store and/or your commitment to the community.

CREDIBILITY, VISIBILITY

Canadian Christian retail chain Blessings has added a live-chat function to its Web site, and President Mark Hutchinson says it’s a “great tool.” 

“When a customer walks into our brick-and-mortar store, we welcome them and are then there to assist them with finding product if they cannot find what they are looking for; online we were not able to offer this service,” he explained. “I said to my team, ‘We need to replicate this service online. We need to offer “wow” customer service.’ 

“We believe we can now offer the same level of service online as in the physical store. You go to Blessings.com and cannot find what you are looking for, [but] instead of getting frustrated and going to a competitor site, we now offer you the chance to talk directly with [us] so that we can assist you in making your purchase.”

On the supplier front, in similar fashion, Rose Publishing offers a live-chat mechanism for its customers. Users—mainly dealers of Rose’s products—can ask any question through its live support without taking extra time to pick up the phone. It serves the customer well and costs little for Rose to provide.

A Web site gives your store credibility as well as visibility, since many users comparison-shop before heading out the door. Not having one could lead to lost business, not to mention fewer ministry opportunities. CR

‘Keep relevant with what people want’

Lessons on surviving digital upheaval from an innovative leader in the photo world who emphasizes fun 

Guest Editor Gretchen Goldsmith speaks with Mark Comon, vice president of Paul’s Photo in Torrance, Calif., about how his business has dealt with major market changes.

How significant has the change to digital been in the retail camera store industry? 

The typical camera store paid the rent with film and processing every month. Now that is all gone, so as a camera store, you have to rely on hard-goods sales and whatever else you can do. Some people have a fairly good niche still in the processing department, doing prints, which people still want.  Granted, it’s not as much as it was, but there’s still a fair amount of business there. 

How quickly did this digital shift occur? 

Two things have happened. First of all, in the digital world, people don’t print. You guys in publishing may be seeing the same thing, that people aren’t buying books. They’re reading online, they’re downloading, but they’re not going to the store and buying a book. That’s the same kind of thing that happened to us. People are shooting more pictures than ever, but they’re not sharing them in a printed form. They’re sharing them online, they’re sharing them on their iPad, or they’re stuck hopelessly on their computer with our moms and dads’ generation not being able to look at them, view them or print them.

How fast did that turn occur?

Five years. The switch came in the late ’90s.

How many retail camera stores are there today compared to, say, 10 years ago?

It depends on how you define a retail camera store. The small mom-and-pop camera store, the small mom-and-pop, one-hour photo lab, those guys are all gone. I would be willing to guess that there are a third less camera stores in the U.S. than there was 10 years. Two big chains merged. They had thousands of stores and they’re down to just a couple hundred stores.

What methods have you used to bring in new income to replace that business? 

We just have to work hard to keep the customers we have. We still do a fair amount of printing. Granted, it’s not as much as it was before, but we’re trying to transition people into new ways of printing. We’re doing photo books, a lot more enlargements, canvas prints. Then we do education. We do classes and trips and tours to build loyal customers and keep people interested in taking better pictures. I find when people take better pictures, they take more pictures and have more fun with it.

Are there any programs or ideas you’ve implemented that have been particularly successful?

We’re still fishing for the right answer as everyone is in the printing world. No one really knows what makes people decide to print pictures. Well, no, we do know what: It’s an event, whether it’s a wedding, a birthday, an anniversary. As far as the class and education side, I just have to keep relevant with what people want to learn today. As new cameras shift, as new technology shifts, people want to learn new things and they want to learn about what’s new and how it works best for them.

The emails you send out vary. Some are quite plain and some use templates. Can you explain?

I go back and forth. When I send a personal email, I do it as text-only because I hate to get an email from someone when it’s just all these red x’s all over the place and you can’t see it, so when I send an email or a newsletter, it’s all text. So if you want to find the information, if you want colored pictures and stuff like that, you’ve got to click on the links and go someplace else. Constant Contact is fancier. I get answers on my emails from my regular customers who know me. I’ve had absolutely zero response from people who don’t know us personally with email marketing. But I find it really effective for, “We just got this new thing in. Come take a look at it.” or “We’re going to have this special event tomorrow night. Come down and check it out.” 

Are there any particular classes that have been most successful for you, and any idea why that is? 

Our photo boot camp is the most popular because it’s a six-week class to really get you going on your camera. Everyone buys a fancy camera to go on vacation or for a party or for an event, and then quite often you’re not 100% satisfied with the result. Here, you come in, we take you through the camera top to bottom. You have assignments, you go away, you come back. Hopefully you’re learning. When you make better pictures, you’re having more fun. That’s what it’s all about for me. Creating an environment where people can have fun and succeed. 

You teach classes on Photoshop and other digital photography tools. Why would you offer classes that hurt your remaining film-processing business? 

The technology is going to come whether you embrace it or not. If you put your head in the sand, you’re just going to get run over. Would I like to go back to the days of film? As a film-processing, developing guy, yes. But as a photographer and a photography coach, I see huge improvements in what people are doing and cameras and technology—and an interest. Maybe one of the aspects that your readers should be looking at is, “How can we embrace the technology and turn it to our advantage?” Why don’t you guys offer support materials? You can’t look at a map on a Kindle. You can’t look at a picture timeline on a Kindle. “Here, we have the supporting products for this new book in stock. Come down and get it.”

Was this shift in your thinking an instant thing or did you grow into it?

I had to grow into it. The other thing you have to remember—when digital photography started, it sucked. I didn’t embrace it because the pictures were low-quality. After a very short while, it got a little bit better. Then for some people, it was OK; for the serious guys, it wasn’t. Gradually, now there is nobody that doesn’t do better in digital than they did in film.

What have been some of your most successful classes?

Everything I do is successful. Everything I do is fun for the customers, fun for me. It’s just a great experience—that’s the way I build it. A lot of times I decide where I’m going to go (to lead a group) by asking my people where they want to go, and then we go there. 

How do you go about asking them? 

Generally how it works is we’re sitting at the bar on the last night of the trip and [I may ask], “Where do you guys want to go next?” In the next two weeks I’m taking my third safari to Africa, and that trip came about sitting in the bar on our last night in Germany in 2005. This is our third time going. Same thing happened in January—I’ve got a snowmobile trip to Yellowstone in the wintertime.  

People can buy cheap cameras pretty much anywhere these days. How do you keep them coming back to you? 

Number one, we sell at the same price you can buy them online for, so there’s no price advantage for buying online. The big question is, when you have a problem or need help, how much help is the Internet going to give you? They’re not going to help you at all. I understand a camera is a little more taxing technologically than a book is. For me it’s all about personal relationships. I know all my customers by name, they know me. I’m on third-generation customers. 

What advice do you have for Christian retailers?

You should be able to do it better. You can always do it better than the big guy. The bigger the guy, the more opportunity you have to find what you can do better then they do, how you can service your customers better, how you can help your customer, be the value-added resaler. Remember what you’re best at. I know what I’m good at and I don’t do things that I’m not good at. I leave that for somebody else. 

You sound pretty passionate about it.

I am. I love what I do. I get up and go to work every morning and love it. CR

Why e-books aren’t the end of the world

Christian Retailing’s Supplier of the Year on specialty retail’s enduring niche

Since our company was named Supplier of the Year for 2011 by Christian Retailing magazine, I have been asked what we do that prompted stores across the country to speak so positively about our products and service.

Rose Publishing’s market share through Christian bookstores has grown significantly through the years, making us a leader in the Bible atlas, biblical studies, denominational studies and Bible reference categories.

I believe that part of the reason for that lies in our roots and our conviction that Christian retail stores are not just another channel for the distribution of Christian products, but share in a unique partnership with suppliers.

Christian books and bookstores have always been a part in my life. My father came to Christ as a graduate student at the University of Nebraska by reading Paul E. Little and other authors. When I was 8 years old, he and my mother started a book table to serve students at UCLA, later helping open a Christian nonprofit bookstore near campus. I remember many happy hours helping in the store.

At 23 years old, I was the first full-time female trade representative to cover 200 Christian bookstores in the eight Western states for David C. Cook Publishing. Too young to rent a car, for several years I drove from store to store. 

Inventorying three stores a day, making friends with the buyers, and in some cases even staying in their homes, gave me an understanding of what Christian bookstores wanted and needed from publishers.

Those experiences inform several things we do to try to serve stores more effectively.

REASONS FOR SUCCESS

We answer the phone.

There is no “phone tree” at Rose—our 800 number is answered by a human being from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. PT. Inquiries during normal office hours are answered by a knowledgeable, helpful person, not a call center or part-time summer staff. We return after-hours messages the morning of the following business day. 

Two years ago, we installed a “customer service live chat line” that allows dealers visiting our Web site to get answers fast without picking up the phone. 

We remember the mission.

We never forget that Christian bookstores are the loving faces and hands of Jesus Christ to their communities. Our staff often prays with store staff about difficulties they mention. We also recommend products that will answer a customer’s question. When loyal dealers have their anniversaries, we honor requests for free products for giveaways. We help with special events.  

Some publishers don’t have time for Christian bookstores that order less than $1,000 at a time. They send stores to the distributors who don’t know the products as well. We have a dedicated sales reps and well-trained customer service reps to serve the independent Christian stores.

We aim to meet needs.

Most of our product line has come from suggestions given to us by stores—the Then and Now maps, the time lines, the comparison charts on denominations. Our best-selling Rose Book of Bible Charts, Maps, and Time Lines came about because dealers wanted 8.5-by-11-inch versions of our large wall charts for people who didn’t have room on their walls. 

We know people are sometimes too busy these days to read a 200-page book, so we give them pamphlets that condense a topic  into 14 easy-to-understand pages, complete with diagrams, photos, maps and charts.

We provide free marketing help.

We started giving away free Bible eCharts to help build our mailing list, but have offered this program to stores, too. Many don’t have time to create fancy social media campaigns or look for giveaways that will increase the open rate of their emails, so our free program lets them send a free item each month.

The link for the free chart goes to a site that does not have Rose contact details. The store’s email also explains how to sign up for the store e-newsletter.

REASONS FOR HOPE

Despite all the challenges in our industry, I remain positive about the special role and opportunity for Christian bookstores.  

 The market is still there.

There are millions of Christians in the U.S. who buy a lot of Christian products. They might buy in a variety of new ways, but the customer hasn’t disappeared.

In-store is immediate.

Online retailers cannot service customers with need for the product now, today.

Print is still strong.

Sales of Christian books are still dominated by printed books and will remain that way for a long time. Many people don’t realize that most music is still sold on CDs. People like them for gifts, for permanence, for backup. 

E-book categories differ.

Religion as a category is one of the slowest to switch to e-books. Kindle, for example, has difficulty with Bible formatting. Yes, you can get a free Bible, but you cannot jump to a chapter and verse with ease. 

In addition, common sense tells us that churches will always buy for the broadest use. You can’t tell Fred he isn’t welcome at Sunday school because he doesn’t have a Kindle or an iPad. Christianity is not an isolationist activity the way normal book reading is. Most e-books have no page numbers. How can a Bible study group stay together when there are no page numbers?

Physical is more visible.

Digital products require intentionality. You have to download something to read it. But sitting in a doctor’s office waiting room, you need only open your eyes to see magazines and books. You are captivated by a headline. Tracts and Christian books capitalize on this. 

Amazon's biggest challenge is to get people to buy more than one item, whereas a bookstore customer rarely walks out with just one item.

New technology can help.

Social media and other communication developments are enabling retailers to contact customers in new ways who might be walking or driving near the store and offer them an incentive to come in. Where.com is just one example of how hyper-local ad networks can function.

Some things don’t change.

Customers are different than they were 10 years ago in many ways—interests, demographics, buying patterns—but their questions remain exactly the same. Who is God? Does He care about me? And more.

Christian bookstore owners and managers passionate about serving the Lord insist on good-quality product because they have to stand behind it when customers come asking questions. This is a clear advantage over secular megastores. Christian bookstore staff add value by giving recommendations. CR

How digital publishing is changing the category—and what stores can do

Fiction remains a strong category for Christian publishing, with new genres emerging while old favorites continue to perform well. But the category is facing changes, especially in the light of the growth of e-book sales.·We discussed some of the issues with representatives of leading Christian fiction publishers. Taking part in our conversation were:

1·Allen Arnold, senior vice president and publisher, fiction, Thomas Nelson

2·Mary Burns, vice president of publishing, Barbour Publishing

3·Don Gates, vice president of marketing, trade books, Zondervan

4·Nathan Henrion, national sales manager, ABA and digital, Baker Publishing Group

5·Karen Watson, associate publisher, Tyndale House Publishers

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It's time to renew our faith, to navigate a changing industry

 The Bible says without faith it’s impossible to please God. Yet many Christians—including many in our industry—are living in fear, not faith. After the boom of the '80s and '90s, more Christian books were sold in secular channels; digital methods of distribution ate away at sales; many found the transition to the next generation wasn’t smooth; and on top of everything, the economy turned south in 2008.  

What else can go wrong, they said, as more stores closed?

As a result the industry has shrunk. Even though good things are happening and some are prospering, the prevailing thinking too often is not one of faith and vision.

I believe our industry could learn from what happened in Australia in the late 1980s when Dr. David Yonggi Cho from South Korea visited the nation and challenged the small-mindedness of the Pentecostal leaders he met with.

Australia is a very secularized nation. The percentage of Christians in church on Sunday is much lower than the United States. Australia has never had a huge revival. I know this because my late father-in-law, Harvey Ferrell, pastored in Sydney when my wife was a teenager. The churches were small and it was a struggle to grow.

Cho, who founded what became the world’s largest church, challenged the Australian leaders he met on their lack of faith.   He said their churches didn’t grow because they didn’t believe they would.  

The leaders took his challenge to heart—especially the Assemblies of God. Andrew Evans, who was head of that denomination, told me Cho’s challenge was a turning point. Today the Assemblies of God is the largest Protestant denomination in Australia. Many of its churches, including churches pastored by Evans’ two sons, have thousands of members.

One of the A/G churches, Hillsong, has had influence around the world: Ever heard the song, “Shout to the Lord”? And soon we’ll write about Koorong, the Christian bookstore chain that is thriving in Australia.

FAITH TO GROW

I’m not a Cho, but I know it takes faith to grow. I started very small in 1975 and in the early days had to believe God for every dollar that came in the door. Yet my organization and I went through a slump. I took a sabbatical in 2009, which I write about in the accompanying article. Now we have a vision for the future and have seen some amazing turn arounds. The Lord gave me some strategies a year ago which have resulted in significant growth and extended reach for our Ministry Today magazine brand.

Now Christian Retailing is making some strategic changes, too, to address the changes we are seeing in our industry.  

Internally we’re moving some of our staff as we focus on new initiatives. For example, Dave Condiff, the longtime publisher of Christian Retailing, has moved to head up our company’s entire advertising department. We welcome back to the Christian Retailing team Cliff Morales, who did a great job in advertising a few years ago.

As a magazine, Christian Retailing is more focused on the business of retailing and on featuring stores that are prospering. We’re inviting industry leaders to be guest editors beginning next month to get their perspective and to make reading the magazine a more exciting experience.  

We know you can get information from many sources. But we want to give you a vision for what is happening overall and help you to stay connected month by month with the Christian Retailing community both in print and online, with new products you’ll see coming, with small intimate events such as our West Coast ReBoot or our planned Gathering in Dallas next spring.

But we also want to encourage people to believe God. I’m reminded of the thousands of Christians in ministries like Campus Crusade for Christ, Youth With A Mission and so forth that believe enough in what they are doing that they raise their own support.  

MINISTRY CALLING

I know that some of the many Christian retailers who have the same sense of ministry calling are weary right now, even worried. They have seen others fall by the wayside. We want to come alongside those who are still standing, to encourage and equip and support them as they renew their faith and vision.  

This is not the only tough time and ours is not the only industry to undergo change. Sure, times are difficult, but what good can result as we pray, pursue business excellence and persevere? I remember Robert Schuller’s famous line that was the title of his best-selling book: “Tough times never last, but tough people do.”

That’s why we have initiated “The Christian Retailing Pledge” presented here. It may be stating the obvious and maybe it won’t change behavior, but it’s a sort of vow to keep trying and to never give up and to help others.  

We are encouraged by those at the International Christian Retail Show who were willing to quickly sign it so we could print their names in this issue. Won’t you add your name to the list as we update it in print and online? Wouldn’t it be wonderful if everyone in the industry signed this pledge?

Finally, the rebranding our company did caused us to articulate our vision statement for Christian Retailing, and it’s appropriate as we institute changes to publicly state our vision for the magazine and what we believe is important.

Meanwhile, please give us your feedback. We’ll be doing more surveys; we’ll have community forums online; and we hope you'll attend our small regional meetings. Those who participated in our Retailing ReBoot event last spring in Orlando, Fla., were so encouraged. The event was so positive that we have decided to repeat it on the West Coast.  

I believe the excitement that was generated is an indication of positive momentum in our industry. I hope you plan to attend Retailing ReBoot West in October. You can find more information and register here.

For us, changing times involved changing our name

Throughout Scripture, God often changed a person’s name before something significant happened in their life. After a remarkable encounter with the Lord, Abram became Abraham. Jacob became Israel. Saul became Paul. 

It’s probably not a big deal to you, but I’ve started going by Steve Strang for the past year after using “Stephen Strang” my entire adult life. Though I’m obviously not in the same category as those biblical giants, this shift has come out of some significant changes in my own life. 

I took a sabbatical in mid-2009 to reflect in life and deal with the enormous changes that were hitting my company after 33 years of uninterrupted growth. During that time, the Lord began dealing with areas of pride in my life, and I realized that I always felt a little “puffed up” when using Stephen rather than the name all my friends call me—Steve. The truth is, I originally began using my formal given name right out of college because I thought it sounded more sophisticated. 

Don’t get me wrong: I’m not saying anyone who prefers to be called Stephen is prideful. But for me, it boiled down to answering a question someone challenged me with: What does the Lord call me? 

When God speaks to me, He calls me Steve. He’s not as interested in how sophisticated my name sounds as He is in being my closest friend. So at a time when the Lord was pointing out the pride in my life, it was an easy shift to make.

But what about my other name? Strang is more than just my last name; it’s what we have called the company my wife, Joy, and I founded more than 30 years ago. We started using “Strang Communications” partly because of the long tradition of publishing houses being named for their founders. After all, it meant I’d make sure it stood for the highest standards of quality and integrity because it was my name.

As the company grew, I began to think maybe it would become a legacy at some point. Maybe someday people would utter “Strang” in the same reverenced breath as Thomas Nelson, the 18th-century Scot who began selling books door to door and whose company evolved into today’s publishing giant. I remember as a 28-year-old meeting Pat Zondervan shortly before he died and wondering if someday I’d be an important publisher, too.

Our company’s success fueled this fire. The press occasionally wrote about the “Strang empire.” We landed a few books on the New York Times best-sellers list. I was named by Time magazine as one of the most influential evangelicals and began to be sought after by politicians. 

It all began to feel pretty good. Yet gradually the very thing I hated in others—pride—crept into my own thinking. I tried to keep my pride in check a couple of times by asking trusted leaders such as Jack Hayford and Mike Bickle if we should change the name of the company. They felt there was no reason to change, that Strang had become a respected and worthy brand. 

But as I reached middle age, I grew more and more wary of things we published and how it would reflect on me personally—after all, my name was on it. With people working “at Strang” and Google marking our office location by my name, I began to feel more like a landmark. This was hardly why I began publishing a small Christian magazine that encouraged people to embrace more of the Holy Spirit.

At the same time that we realized the company had to retool for a new generation and rebrand ourselves, I decided I had to rid myself of anything that drew attention to me instead of Christ. Was I put on earth to serve Him or to build a legacy to myself? I knew the answer. 

The scripture “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30) became alive to me. 

So as I made other changes in my life, I decided to take my name off the company. 

It took a year to brainstorm with staff, family, authors and customers. But earlier this year our company officially became Charisma Media. Charisma is our strongest brand. It refers not only to spiritual gifts, but also to our calling and passion to serve God and the church. Media signifies the diversified ways we can communicate—not only in print through magazines and books, but also online, via apps and the myriad of other digital vehicles. 

While my wife, Joy, and I are totally focused on serving God by leading this organization, we know we won’t be doing this forever. Charisma Media is the legacy we want to leave so others can reach their generation as we have tried to reach ours, just as my mentors such as author Jamie Buckingham, publisher Robert Walker and others did before us.

I’m no Saul of Tarsus, nor did Jesus blind me on my way to work one day. But my “encounter” has resulted in some significant name changes, both personally and professionally. And with Strang Communications becoming Charisma Media, we have great faith for big things in the future—all for God’s glory.

Now that you understand the reason and passion behind our corporate name change, let me take a moment to also restate our commitment to helping you and your respective business-ministries also continue to serve our Lord and your customer needs to your fullest and best potential. 

Whether you’re a retailer or a supplier, Charisma Media stands ready to help you become the best at what you’re called to do. We remain optimistic about the opportunities for our industry and passionate about reaching the world with the life-changing messages found in the myriad of products our industry's dedicated suppliers and retailers make available to consumers. I am pleased to stand by your side as a brother in Christ and look forward with enthusiasm to working together, Charisma Media and you.

After several years in which many of the post-ICRS ruminations have been post mortems, it’s rather nice that this year’s reflections amount to more of a clean bill of health.

Even some of the positive comments that followed previous events came through rather clenched teeth, but this year they seem to be accompanied by genuine smiles. Quite a relief all round.

My sense is that last year in St. Louis, the show right-sided itself, like a boat coming through white waters, and now we can stop feeling queasy and concentrate on charting the currents ahead. In some ways, it’s a new show for a new era.

Before we get too euphoric, let’s acknowledge that we’re not talking high fives and cartwheels. Ten percent attendance growth over last year is good, but we need to remember that the 2011 event was in Atlanta, which has traditionally been one of the show’s strongest host cities.

Additionally, exhibitor numbers and booth spaces remained flat—in one respect, at least. Though suppliers may not have increased their show-floor footprint much, some of them did seem to be making more of their space, with displays rising high into what for the past few years has been largely dead air. It was almost as though they were holding their heads up again.

Once again, CBA managed and orchestrated the show floor well to create a sense of energy and busyness. How creative the team was became apparent the minute you stepped outside the exhibition hall into the rest of the huge convention center, where it felt like someone had staged a small group meeting in an aircraft hangar.

More kudos to CBA for ratcheting up the educational component once again. I heard great reviews from retailers for both the variety of topics and the strength of the presentations. And the daylong retail academy was by all accounts a great success.

Worth the price of admission on its own was George Barna’s opening-session presentation on how shifts in culture and technology are shaking up the publishing and retailing world. He didn’t pull any punches, but he did provide lots of food for thought and then led a spirited panel discussion with several industry leaders. Look for a recording of the proceedings at CBA’s Web site.

The organizers also did a great job in attracting Christian and general market media to the event, bringing lots of exposure to Christian products, authors and artists. Other pluses I saw and heard about included the express registration check-in that did away with the long lines of former years and the wider range of reasonably priced food options close to the exhibit floor.

Another reason for this year’s positive outcome, I believe, is that some suppliers and retailers alike have finally adjusted their expectations. 

Many suppliers have said for some time that the show has changed, it’s not about sales, blah blah, but they seem to have still looked to their bottom line as the primary indicator of a “good” event. This time around, I sensed there was more of a genuine recognition that ICRS is not primarily about orders—though, having said that, I also heard from a number who were quite happy with the business they did and who had worked hard with advance scheduling and on-the-floor energy to draw visitors. Gone are the days when you could just sit there in your booth and wait for orders, thank you very much.

I can understand how it used to be a bit tough for exhibitors to say cheerfully that the industry needs a place to meet, when they knew how much it was costing them to provide the opportunity for others to enjoy it at no charge, but now that they have their costs down and in line, it’s easier to say that genuinely.

Then there are the retailers. Gone seems to be the doom and gloom and the sense that the suppliers owed them something. Maybe the folks that brought that cloud are no longer around. The retailers I met at ICRS weren’t pretending things were easy. But they were for the most part optimistic, determined and appreciative of suppliers’ efforts to cooperate and collaborate.

Side note: I was also encouraged to hear how different stores are responding to the challenges they face with creativity and faith. One retailer told me how, recognizing customer care was the one thing Amazon and e-books couldn’t beat him on, he had increased his staffing—despite the down economy—to be able to give more time to shoppers, to help them and offer to pray with them. Get a bunch of those kinds of people in the same place and you’re bound to have a an inspiring time.

Though few, there were some misfires in Atlanta. The Champions of the Faith fund-raising evening started late and dragged on too long. The prayer meeting was poorly attended, though it’s not clear to me whether that’s because of the time it was scheduled—as the show floor was winding down—or the way it was presented, as an “if you can make it” kind of thing, rather than, “you can’t miss this.”

But overall, that’s like passing your annual checkup and then being told by the doctor that you should start watching your diet a bit more closely. There’s always going to be some room for improvement. Trimmed of the fat, ICRS is looking pretty good. I look forward to seeing what sort of shape the show is in when it comes to my Orlando hometown next year.

Suppliers’ support helps store staff overcome ‘fear factor’ in selling God’s Word

Now more than ever, Christian retailers need to be at the top of their game when it comes to helping shoppers choose the right Bible.The cornerstone product remains the area where Christian stores should be able to outshine other channels and cement their place in consumers’ minds as the specialist place for God’s Word.

Additionally, the Bible department is widely seen as one reading category more immune to being impacted by digital publishing because most shoppers still want a physical copy of the Scriptures, even if they have an e-version for convenience.

But the rising opportunity in Bibles comes when it may never have been more challenging for stores to take advantage of it—as reduced staffing levels leave less time for frontliners to keep on top of new products and releases, and the number of SKUs continues to grow.

A growing subcategory adds edgy content to trendy design

Teen Bibles may not top best-seller lists or command huge endcap displays like adult editions, but the subcategory is a strong area for publishers and retailers. The segment has come far since The Way, the first teen/young adult Bible, published by Tyndale House Publishers in 1972, which used the Living Bible paraphrase and black-and-white photos of 16- to 30-year-olds throughout the text.

The grouping now offers a variety of trendy features and formats—including graphics, colors, compact-size and magazine-like versions as well as metal, manga-style and Italian Duo-Tone designs—all aiming to be visually appealing and teen-friendly to encourage young adults to read the Scriptures.

STRONG CATEGORY

“Today’s teens are dealing with some issues that most generations didn’t have to deal with until they were much older,” Zondervan Senior Vice President and Publisher for Bibles Chip Brown told Christian Retailing. “We try to provide Bibles that will help teens spiritually navigate and thrive in this incredible period of their lives.”

Chicken Little wasn’t among the keynote speakers at the recent big industry pow-wow on the digital future, hosted by the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA), but you could have left fearing that the sky was in imminent danger of e-falling.

I’m not disputing the (voluminous) data that was presented. Nor do I doubt that e-books are going to have a dramatic impact on our book world—from how we acquire and shape content at one end of the process to the way we sell it at the other. No question, business as usual isn’t a good long-term plan, for publishers and retailers.

But I think there’s some encouragement for stores to be found somewhere between the doom and gloom of nervous chickens and the disregard of head-in-the-sand 
ostriches.

 As I listened to all the prognostications at the ECPA digital summit, I couldn’t help thinking—with apologies to whoever coined the original phrase, referencing a hammer and a nail—that when all you have is a Kindle (or a Nook or a smartphone), everything is an e-book.

And when I heard from the leading edge, early adopter-type presenters about all the people that are abandoning print wholesale in frenzied favor of digitized text (my Loosey Goosey summary), I also wondered: So, just where are all these e-folks?

Certainly not in my circles. A few friends at church have e-readers or use their smartphone to follow the Bible readings, but the others (majority) choose to follow along on the overhead screen or in their own translation. My twentysomething kids are tech savvy and like to pootle around online, but they much prefer ink-on-paper for serious reading.

An informal survey among colleagues at work was revealing, too. Bear in mind, these are people immersed in journalism and book publishing: Less than half had any kind of e-reader, few had smartphones, and they overwhelmingly preferred to read print books.

Most of those who did have e-readers said that they used them for business or travel convenience and preferred a page-in-hand for personal reading. Some said that they downloaded only free books, and many acknowledged reading more than before because of the constant accessibility of their preferred gadget.

Admittedly, my personal experience and limited research (a quick email) isn’t weighty enough to get me invited to speak at a conference. But it is shared by a good number of those I have chatted with in the industry who hear the red sky warnings but don’t see many actual signs as they look around. And I don’t believe that it is because they are naïve, uninformed or stubborn.

Here’s my conclusion about e-books and Christian retailing: Some customers will never go digital and some will. Brilliant, I know. Let me unpack that a bit.

Some customers will never go digital. This doesn’t make them backwards or backwoods—and they still need serving. So, while you may want to make adjustments (for instance, fiction is seen to be more attractive to e-readers than other categories), don’t abandon the book section prematurely.

I agree with those who have observed that the reflective and personal nature of much Christian reading can have a physical, touch-the-pages and write-in-the-margins aspect to it that devices cannot replicate (something that may be especially true when it comes to Bibles, as an article elsewhere in this issue notes). Then there’s the fact that, many times, Christian books are bought as a gift or ministry touch, which cries out for physical product.

Also, the preference for print over digital seems to cut across demographics, interestingly enough: there’s been research that found e-reader ownership higher among older adults (because they can afford the devices and like being able to enlarge the print) than their iPod-bearing offspring. So don’t bail on trying to serve younger adults too soon, either.

Some customers will go digital—but this doesn’t mean you have to wave them goodbye forever, shut the doors and put up the For Sale sign. Many e-reader users will appreciate the convenience of their device and the opportunities it affords them to explore new authors cheaply (or for free), but will likely continue default to print for significant reading.

With these people, e-books are more of an opportunity than something to be feared. Digital titles could, in some way, become a great advertisement for your store—if you are providing the experience and customer service that will bring you to mind (and, hence, them to you) when they consider making a physical purchase.

In part, this is why it is so important that Christian stores provide an option for selling e-books. I am not so much convinced that it will necessarily be a big slice of income, but providing the opportunity says that Christian stores are aware of and embrace the new world of digital publishing and may help counter the view in some parts that they are outdated and out of touch with contemporary culture.

And, yes, there will be some customers who will go entirely digital. But they and their friends and family still have holidays and homes and heartaches for which gifts and giclee and gentle words in a physical card or book are desired.

So, there’s my thoughts: The horizon may be shifting, but the sky isn’t falling just yet. A Henny Penny for yours?

Industry leaders and insiders get personal on trends and issues

It has probably never been truer for the Christian products industry that change is here to stay.

From the accelerating digital-publishing revolution and its impact to ongoing shifts in retail, new consumer habits and business practices are emerging. Christian retailers and suppliers must look to the future, preparing for its challenges and opportunities.

We talked to a broad range of industry leaders and insiders to get their personal and professional take on some of the big issues and questions.

Your guide to suppliers’ locations, specials, events and offers

  ABBEY Press

Booth: 1619

 Abbott Hall

Booth: 239

 Abingdon Press

Booth: 828

 African American Expressions

Booth: 1518

 Alpha Omega Publications

Booth: 521

 Amazing Facts

Booth: 1447

 Ambassador International

Booth: 947

Specials/discounts: 60%, net 45 on show orders.

Special events: signings: Gene Krcelic, Loves Like a Hurricane, Mon., 11 a.m.; Sammy Tippit, The Race, Mon., 2 p.m.; Steven Sellers, The Sobering Truth, Mon., 3:30 p.m.; Mark Ashe, Your Money and Your Life, Tues., 11 a.m.; Beth Marshall, A Time to Heal, Tues., 1:30 p.m. 

New products: The Race; Loves Like a Hurricane.

 American Bible Society

Booth: 318

 AMG Publishers

Booth: 801

Specials/discounts: 55% off, free freight, net 60 days billing. 

Premiums: book giveaway: First 80 customers receive Young Adult novel Map Across Time by C.S. Lakin.

Special events: reading of Sword in the Stars by author Wayne Thomas Batson at booth, Tues., 10:30 a.m. followed by book signing. 

New products: Stories of Faith & Courage From the Vietnam War (“Battlefields & Blessings” by Larkin Spivey.

Anchor Distributors

Booth: 709

Specials/discounts: extra discounts on show orders.

Premiums: free gift with qualifying order.

Special events: signings daily.

Apex Trading Co.

Booth: 1929

Artistic Manufacturing Corp.

Booth: 618

B&H Publishing Group

Booth: 728

Specials/discounts: Visit booth for show specials.

Special events: book signings: Over the Edge, Brandilyn Collins; Beside Still Waters, Tricia Goyer; Spiritual Leadership, Henry and Richard Blackaby; When Worlds Collide, Mike and Daniel Blackaby; The Resolution for Men samplers, Stephen and Alex Kendrick; and Courageous Living, Michael Catt.

Baker Publishing Group

Booth: 539

Special events: author signings by Pat Williams, Dale Cramer, Elizabeth Musser, Mark Bertrand and Ann Tatlock.

??New products: New titles include The Mercy by Beverly Lewis and Have a New Kid by Friday by Kevin Leman.

Barbour Publishing

Booth: 529

Specials/discounts: Special #1: 60% discount on solid or assorted cases of “Bible Promise” books; Special #2: 60% discount on any 24 copies of Oswald Chambers’ My Utmost for His Highest (excludes promotional editions).

Special events: book signings by Wanda E. Brunstetter, Love Finds a Home, Mon., 10-11 a.m.; Tony and Penny Monetti, Called to Serve, Mon., 3:30-4:30 p.m.; Stephen M. Miller, The Complete Visual Bible, Tues., 10-11 a.m.

New products: Growing Up Colt by Colt McCoy and Brad McCoy with Mike Yorkey; 40 Days to Better Living: Optimal Health by The Church Health Center; God Calling: Expanded Edition by A. J. Russell, ed.; and Love Finds a Home.

Bargain Books Wholesale

Booth: 328

Berg Christian Enterprises

Booth: 2033

Bezaleel Gifts Co.

Booth: 2001

Black Family Press

Booth: 341

Blossom Bucket

Booth: 2005

Specials/discounts: free freight on show orders for delivery in 2012.

New products: products by Suzi Skoglund, Barbara Lloyd and Deb Strain.

Bob Siemon Designs

Booth: 1711

Specials/discounts: Enroll in the engraveable cross program and receive a free store display.

Premiums: free mustard-seed lapel pin for first 500 visitors, commemorative 2011 ICRS sterling-silver charm available for purchase.

New products: Collections, including licensed NOTW and Truth Soul Armor jewelry, EMI Songs of Worship designs and mustard-seed collection.

Book Depot

Booth: 242

Booklog

Booth: 827

Bookstore Manager Software

Booth: 1410

Bowman Art

Booth: 1906

Bridge-Logos Foundation

Booth: 331

Bridgestone  Multimedia Group

Booth: 1100

Brownlow Gifts

Booth: 1710

CLC Publications

Booth: 646

CNI Distribution

Booth: 1009

CTA

Booth: 1604

Specials/discounts: free freight on orders more than $100.

New products: children’s product for Christmas.

Cactus Game Design

Booth: 1919

Specials/discounts: 50% off show orders and 20% off UPS charges.

New products: Bible Taboo and GlowCrazy: Bible Edition games.

Carolina Retail Packaging

Booth: 1706

Carpentree

Booth: 1701

Specials/discounts: level discounts and free product.

Premiums: free gift to first 35 stores who place orders.

Special events: 35th anniversary events.

New products: New art series, limited edition best-sellers, gift line by artist Sandra Kuck and more. 

Cathedral Art Metal

Booth: 1511

Catholic Book Publishing Corp.

Booth: 232

New products: My Catholic Book of Bible Stories.

Central South Distribution

Booth: 1104

Charisma Media (formerly Strang Communications)

Booth: 819

Specials/discounts: Up to 56%, free freight with qualifying order.

New products: The fifth book in John Eckhardt’s “Prayers That” series, Prayers That Activate Blessing. 

Christ for the Nations Institute

     Booth: 500

Specials/discounts: Responding CD/DVD, split track, Respondiendo CD (Spanish version of Responding) and songbook package deal, $35. Valued at $62.99.

Premiums: 37 CD/DVD. 

Special events: Dennis Lindsay book signing at booth, Mon., 2-3 p.m.

New products: Lindsay’s The War on the Authority of Scripture.

Christian Art Gifts

Booth: 1727

Christian Focus Publications

Booth: 1246

Specials/discounts: 50% and free freight on all orders more than $100.

New products: Carine Mackenzie’s 150th published book.

Christian Life Outreach

Booth: 1147

Christian Small Publishers Association

Booth: 338

Special events: author appearances.

Christian World

Booth: 1313

Christianaudio/Hovel Audio

Booth: 339

Comfort Publishing

Booth: 451

Concordia Publishing House

Booth: 409

Specials/discounts: up to 55% discount, free freight and delayed billing on qualifying orders.

New products: The Story Bible.

Creation By Design

Booth: 1001

Crossway

Booth: 321

Crown Financial Ministries

Booth: 210

Dake Publishing

Booth: 905

Danteck Group (NowBible)

Booth: 1247

Specials/discounts: 5% pass-through special from NowBible distributors.

New products: KJV Scourby dramatized NowBible editions.

DaySpring Cards

Booth: 1521

New products: Courageous, spring 2012, Peanuts.

Destiny Image

Booth: 211

Dexsa

Booth: 1611

Dicksons

Booth: 1821

Discovery House Publishers/RBC Ministries

Booth: 951

Eikon Bible Art

Booth: 1546

Ellie Claire/Summerside Press

Booth: 1507

Specials/discounts: free freight on 15 items or more.

Premiums: giveaways, and register to win an iPad with $500 purchase. 

Special events: signings: Tricia Goyer, Cara Putman, Melody Carlson, Robin Jones Gunn, Susan May Warren, Dan Britton and Jimmy Page.

New products: “Pocket Inspirations” series. 

EMI CMG Distribution

Booth: 1103

E-R Productions

Booth: 1146

EP Books

Booth: 547

Emkay Candle Co.

Booth: 900

Evergreen Press

Booth: 1542

Special events: author signings.

Every Good Gift

Booth: 1708

Exotic World Gifts

Booth: 2118

Faith Library Publications

Booth: 431

FaithWords/Hachette Book Group

Booth: 719

Specials/discounts: 50% discount and free freight on show orders.  

Special events: signings: John Eldredge, Beautiful Outlaw, Mon., 10 a.m.; Ted Dekker and Tosca Lee, Forbidden, Mon., 11 a.m.; Ted Dekker, The Priest’s Graveyard, Mon., 2 p.m.; Lavaille Lavette, 86,400, Mon., 3 p.m.; Adina Senft, The Wounded Heart, Tues., 10 a.m.; Bill Scott, The Day Satan Called, Tues., 11 a.m.; Debbie Viguie, Kiss of Night, Tues., 1 p.m.

Fireside Catholic Publishing

Booth: 1438

Foundation Publications

Booth: 903

Specials/discounts: 50% off show orders.

Franklin Electronic 

Publishers

Booth: 405

Fun Express

Booth: 2022

Gardenfire

Booth: 2027

Specials/discounts: Show Only Sale, with the lowest prices of the year.

Premiums: multiple 48 shirts, giveaways. 

New products: T-shirt designs.

Gifts of Faith

Booth: 96

Glory Haus

Booth: 2010

Specials/discounts: 5% off $500 and 10% off $1,000 orders.

New products: inspirational frames, canvases and ornaments.

Gospel Light/Regal Books

Booth: 611

Specials/discounts: free freight on $200 net book order, excluding VBS and Sunday school curriculum.

New products: Raising a Soul Surfer by Cheri Hamilton.

Gospel Publishing House

Booth: 847

Gregg Gift Co./Enesco

Booth: 1719

Specials/discounts: 40th anniversary celebration: 60% off retail at a $400 minimum order and incentives to buy from sister companies Gund and Enesco.

Premiums: giveaway of three prize packs of products worth $1,500 retail.

New products: Bible covers, totes, baby and garden gifts and more.

Group Publishing

Booth: 909

H.J. Sherman Co.

Booth: 1503

Specials/discounts: 5% discount on net cost if paid within 20 days of invoice. Christmas orders totaling $300 or more ship August or later, payable Dec. 15. Dating specials available upon inquiry.

Premiums: Complimentary mahogany pocket token, $2.50 retail.

New products: 15 designs of mahogany pocket tokens.

Haggai Books

Booth: 1639

Harrison House Publishers

Booth: 345

Special events:  book signings.

New products: titles by Germaine Copeland, Tony Cooke, Dave Martin, Anne Gimenez and Tom and Maureen Anderson.

Harvest House Publishers

Booth: 639

New products: The Power of a Praying Wife Devotional by Stormie Omartian, Victory in Spiritual Warfare by Tony Evans, God’s Heart for You by Holley Gerth, The Amish Nanny by Mindy Starns Clark and Leslie Gould, Raising a Daughter After God’s Own Heart by Elizabeth George, Honestly by Johnnie Moore and The Story of Your Life by Matthew West and Angela Thomas.

Hendrickson Publishers

Booth: 400

Heritage Lace Inspirational

Booth: 2019

Hermitage Art Co.

Booth: 621

Specials/discounts: free freight.

New products: seasonal and general worship bulletins.

Holy Land Gifts

Booth: 1902

Howard Books

Booth: 208

Howard Imprinting Machine Co.

Booth: 230

Ideals Publications

Booth: 218

Imagine Design

Booth: 1905

Innovative

Booth: SP938

 Inspirational Closeout Solutions

Booth: 324

Specials/discounts: discounts up to 92%.

Integra Interactive

Booth: 1003

InterVarsity Press

Booth: 303-311

Specials/discounts: 52% discount, free freight, 90 days with 50-unit minimum.

Premiums: free copy of Abundant Simplicity by Jan Johnson.

Special events: author signings: Richard Foster, Mon., 11 a.m., and Adele Calhoun, Tues., 11 a.m.

New products: Sanctuary of the Soul by Foster; Invitations From God by Calhoun.

James Lawrence Co.

Booth: 1613

JMS Marketing & Sales

Booth: 724

Kerusso

Booth: 1409

Premiums: free exclusive Courageous movie T-shirt.

Special events: Meet the makers of Courageous at our 3:16 event with drawings and giveaways, Mon., Tues., at 3:16 p.m. 

New products: Courageous apparel.

Kingstone Media Group

? Booth: 649

Special events: events with Marvin Olasky, Eric Wilson, Ninie Hammon, Doug Peterson.

New products: Babylon graphic novel by Art Ayris, Five Days in May by Hammon and Echoes of Eden graphic novel by Olasky.

Kirkbride Bible Co.

Booth: 702

Specials/discounts: 70% on qualifying orders for King James Version, leather Thompson Chain-Reference Bible.

Premiums: gift with every order.

New products: The Thompson Answer Bible.

Kregel Publications

Booth: 610

Specials/discounts: Choose your discount: 50-54% off plus extended terms, free freight on qualifying orders.

Left Behind Games

Booth: 1207

Levy’s Leathers

Booth: 2112

Lighthouse Christian Products Co.

Booth: 1907-1913

Specials/discounts: several levels of specials.

Premiums: free magnet. 

New products: David & Goliath sculpture plaque.

Lion Hudson

Booth: 511

G.T. Luscombe Co.

Booth: 1608

Specials/discounts: cash rebates on selected products (double Monday), discounts, free freight.

Premiums: Bible Hi-Glider sample.

New products: Bible Hi-Gliders, Verse-A-Light flexible LED light, Extra Large Print Rainbow Bible Tabs.

Mach III/Color-Ons

Booth: 1609

Merch-It!

Booth: 1925

Milestones International Publishers

Booth: 200

Montco Packaging

Booth: 238

Moody Publishers

Booth: 701

Munce Group

Booth: 833

Specials/discounts: free membership at the show ($200 savings).

Murphy Cap & Gown Co.

Booth: 830

New Day Christian Distributors

Booth: 1303

New Hope Publishers

Booth: 722

Special events: signings: Kathi Macias, Jennifer Kennedy Dean and more.

New Leaf Publishing Group

Booth: 1039

Specials/discounts: Mon., Tues.: 55%, free freight, 60-day billing. Wed.: 50%, free freight, 60-day billing.

Premiums: Already Compromised, The Defender’s Guide for Life’s Toughest Questions, Church Diversity: Sunday, the Most Segregated Day of the Week. 

Special events: book signings: Mo., Ken Ham, 11 a.m.; Tues., Ray Comfort, 10 a.m. and Scott Williams, 3 p.m.

New products: Already Compromised by Ken Ham.

No Greater Joy Ministries

Booth: 1338

Specials/discounts: 60-80%

Premiums: free shipping ($100 minimum, U.S. only) 

New products: Tempered Steel and 50 Questions-50 Answers DVDs.

Noah’s Ark Distribution

Booth: 1403

The Northampton Press

Booth: 1443

Specials/discounts: half off shipping for orders more than $200.

New products: John Bunyan’s Sighs From Hell.

Not of This World (NOTW)

Booth: 1526

Oasis Audio

Booth: 313

Specials/discounts: 52% and free freight on 15 assorted titles.

New products: Five Languages of Appreciation by Gary Chapman, Have a New Teenager by Friday by Kevin Leman, Courageous.

OM Ships International

Booth: 227

Outline Bible Resources by Leadership Ministries Worldwide

Booth: 1343

Outreach

Booth: 1539

Oxford University Press

Booth: 904

P&R Publishing

Booth: 603 

Specials/discounts: 50% discount on four-pack of “Adventures in the American Revolution” series; introductory $9.99 price on Taken for quantities of five or more with counter display.

Special events: signings: Susan Olasky, “Adventures in the American Revolution” series, Tues., 10 a.m.; Kathleen Buswell Nielson, Isaiah (“Living Word Bible Studies”), Tues., 1 p.m.; Brock Eastman, Taken, book 1 of “The Quest for Truth,” Tues., 3 p.m.

New products: Taken, Should Christians Embrace Evolution? and “The Adventures in the American Revolution.”

P. Graham Dunn

Booth: 1627

Parable Franchising

Booth: 1339

Positive Productions Plus!

Booth: 1442

Praiz POS/Extreme POS

Booth: 322

Precious Moments

Booth: 2030

Pro Pueblo

Booth: 1509

Protec

Booth: 1904

Provident-Integrity Distribution

Booth: 1006

Pure Flix Entertainment

Booth: 1419

Rainbow Publishers/Legacy Press

Booth: 720

Specials/discounts: up to 50% off, extra dating and free freight.

New products: Gotta Have God, Volume 3 for ages 2-5, 6-9 and 10-12.

Revival Lit/Russian Bible/Global Bible

Booth: 625

RH Boyd Publishing Corp.

Booth: 1049

Rhythm Band Instruments

Booth: 1923

Rhythm U.S.A.

Booth: 2032

Robert Spooner Galerie

Booth: 1811

Specials/discounts: free freight with prepaid orders, minimum $1,000; free product giveaway on orders $500-plus.

New products: new items in the “Textured Artboards” line, as well as new frescoes with metal crosses and turquoise embellishments.

Rose Publishing

Booth: 438

Specials/discounts: 50% and free freight on NYP, new pamphlet promotion, big discounts on DVD curricula.

Premiums: free pamphlets.

New products: DVD-based small group curriculum for Feasts & Holidays of the Bible; and Life of Moses, Book of James and Prayer pamphlets.

Royal Consumer Information Products

Booth: 1341

Saber of Truth Ministries

Booth: 1538

ScriptureWear

Booth: 2013

SDS Design Associates

Booth: 1507

STL Distribution North America

Booth: 1138

SW Press Co.

Booth: 401

Scripture Candy

Booth: 1602

Servant Marketing

Booth: 2009-2011

Specials/discounts: show specials, including Slap Watch display program.

New products: Slap Watch display program. 

Singer Co.

Booth: 1601

Solid Rock Jewelry

Booth: 1805

Specials/discounts: free shipping on qualified orders.

Premiums: Stop by the booth for SillyCone Bandz. 

New products: 20 stainless steel rings starting at $1.79.

Spirit & Truth Christian Jewelry Designs

Booth: 1532

Specials/discounts: free displays, shipping.

Premiums: Purity and True Love Waits rings 

New products: stainless steel rings, necklaces and bracelets, all bearing scripture.

The Spoken Word of God/ Christian Media International

Booth: 1046

Specials/discounts: 50% off Bible product.

Premiums: free KJV MP3 Bible with $100 minimum purchase, free shipping with minimum order.

Special events: giveaways: Envoy Solar Bible, “Treasure Chest” CD series.

New products: Updated Envoy Solar Audio Bible, “Treasure Chest” CDs, Volumes 1 and 2, in English and Spanish.

Spring Arbor Distributors

Booth: 419

Standard Publishing

Booth: 939

Swanson Christian Products

Booth: 1346, 1901

Tabbies/Xertrex International

Booth: 519

New products: VeggieTales Bible indexing tabs, Scratch’n’Smell stickers, character stickers, temporary tattoos and Very Veggie Values.

Talicor

Booth: 2018

Tecmark Corp.

Booth: 1311

Thomas Nelson Bargain Books

Booth: 340

Tier Toys/Krazy Houze

Booth: 1607

Trinitarian Bible Society USA

Booth: 624

Trinity Broadcasting 

Network 

Booth: 1002

True Potential Publishing

Booth: 204

Truth Book Publishers

Booth: 449

Tyndale House Publishers

Booth: 501

Specials/discounts: discounts up to 52% on qualifying promotions.

Special events: signings Mon., Tues.  

New products: Game On by Emmitt Smith, NLT Parallel Study Bible, One Year Study Bible and The Tehran Initiative by Joel C. Rosenberg.

Union Gospel Press

Booth: 206

Universal Designs

Booth: 1700

Specials/discounts: free shipping and special dating.

New products: Greeting cards featuring animals with scripture, seasonal packages for trick-or-treat, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Valtim Marketing Services

Booth: 1605

Vermont Christmas Co.

Booth: 1606

Vision Street Publishing

Booth: 548

Warner Press

Booth: 201

Specials/discounts: special show discounts.

Special events: book signings and giveaways Tuesday.

New products: tween/teen fiction books and church supplies.

Well Versed Gifts

Booth: 2003

Wesleyan Publishing House

Booth: 1439

WestBow Press

Booth: 623

Wholesale Christian Books

Booth: 231

Wilton Armetale

Booth: 2021

WinePress Publishing

Booth: 439

Word Distribution

Booth: 1111

WORDsearch Corp.

Booth: 1340

Specials/discounts: extra 2%-5%, dating.

New products: WORDsearch 10.

 World Wide Printing

Booth: 607

 Worthy Publishing

Booth: 1545

 Xulon Press

Booth: 747

 Zondervan

Booth: 739

 Debut Avenue booths

Ancient Essence, #da38

Be Salty, #da23

The Carpenter’s Woodshop, #da22

The Christmas Angel, #da42

Coastline Imports, #da3

DVB New York, #da24

Earthwood, #da21

FaithViews, #da5

Fundex Games, #da6

Gifts and Talents, #da4

Heart on Your Sleeve Design, #da20

Heaven Sent Infant Wear 

   (Miracle Maternity Wear), #da2

Intertech Marketing, #da26

Jeweled Cross Co., #da1

Keys to Prayer, #da8

PAJ dba Prime Art & Jewel, #da37

Poof-Slinky, #da19

 CBA Marketsquare booths

Abridge International, #ms14

Armour Publishing, #ms33

B&H International, #ms9

Baker Publishing Group, #ms46

Banner of Truth, #ms20

Barbour Publishing, #ms23

Beacon Hill Press of Kansas City, #ms13

Bill Noller International Publishing, #ms26

Crossway Books & Bibles, #ms18

Destiny Image, #ms1

F.J. Rudy and Associates, #ms21

Gospel Literature International, #ms2

Great Value Books, #ms37

InterVarsity Press, USA, #ms3

InterVarsity Press, UK, #ms27

IPRINTING, #ms34

Life Publishers International, #ms5

LifeWay International, #ms31

Messianic Jewish Publishers

Booth: #ms35

Specials/discounts: 55%, no minimum.

Premiums: The Conversation.

Riggins International Rights Services, #ms29

Scandinavia Publishing House, #ms22

Thomas Nelson, #ms24

Tyndale House Publishers, #ms7

WingSpread Publishers

Booth: #ms36

Specials/discounts: U.S. only, 55%, no minimum.

New products: 55 titles by A.W.Tozer.

Zondervan, #ms4

 CBA Marketsquare tables

Augsburg Fortress, #6

Barbour Publishing, #1

Copenhagen Publishing House, #4

Josh McDowell Ministry, #5

Thomas Nelson, #2

Zondervan, #3

Atlanta show to emphasize stores’ influence on culture

Centered on the theme “Celebrate the Word, Impact the Culture,” the International Christian Retail Show (ICRS) marks its 62nd year July 11-13 at Atlanta’s Georgia World Congress Center.

This year’s focus, in part, celebrates the impact of the King James Bible, in its 400th year of publication. Open to the public for viewing, the Celebrate the Word Bible Legacy exhibit of historic Bibles and biblical artifacts “will help reinforce Christian-stores’ role in bringing the Bible to people today, and the significant role they play within our culture and communities across the country,” said Curtis Riskey, executive director of show-host CBA.

Departing from the norm, CBA is inviting the public to attend some of the Sunday events. “The goal is to show that Christian stores are a vital part of the local community and are partners in ministry,” Riskey said. “We will invite church leaders, area ministries and the general public to a Sunday service, called Worship Him.”

Serving the needs of local congregations is a growth area for stores to pursue

Michelle Brown believes so strongly in church supplies that last fall she dedicated a section of her 1,800-square-foot location to this category to stimulate more interest in Word of God Christian Resources.

The outreach is working. During 2010, the store derived 48% of its revenue from church supplies. That nearly matched 2009’s figure of 51% despite a third consecutive annual decrease in giving to churches nationwide.

“I go to every church and say, ‘I will give you a 5% discount, pay shipping and deliver the material to you,’ ” Brown said. “A lot of churches don’t realize what a local Christian bookstore can do. We research the best prices and products. We need our churches or we wouldn’t be here.”

Bibles may be immune to the e-publishing challenge to print

Abingdon Press	Danteck Group	Thomas Nelson	Zondervan

While talk about digital products generally makes brick-and-mortar Christian retailers quite nervous, they should be encouraged when it comes to non-print formats available in their Bible department.

For many have experienced success with sales beyond the printed page in recent years, and though the growth of e-books is viewed as a threat to other categories, when it comes to God’s Word, some see the trend as less troubling and even potentially positive.

Long before e-readers, Christian stores were selling the Bible in non-print formats, from audio editions on multiple cassettes to early software. Listen-to versions got a major boost in the last few years when the two leading Bible publishers each brought out their own, award-winning digital audio editions with all-star casts.

With more than 2 million in sales, a children’s version due to release in November and a movie adaptation, Heaven is for Real (Thomas Nelson) has been one the surprise hits of the Christian publishing world, since its release last fall.

Like William P. Young’s best-seller The Shack, it is one of those titles that has been propelled more by word-of-mouth recommendation than advertising and promotion.

We talked with representatives of publishers of similar titles, which have racked up sales of more than a million without a major marketing push, about handling such unexpected successes and the role Christian retail stores have in their impact.

Taking part in the discussion were: 

• Woodley Auguste, director of marketing and publicity for Charisma Media’s book division, Charisma House (23 Minutes in Hell by Bill Wiese, 2006) 
• Don Gates, vice president of marketing for trade books at Zondervan (The Man in the Mirror by Patrick Morley, 2000) 
• Laura Minchew, vice president & publisher, children and gift specialty books for Thomas Nelson (Jesus Calling by Sarah Young, 2004) 
• LaRae Weikert, vice president of editorial for Harvest House (The Power of a Praying Parent by Stormie Omartian, 1995) 

Woodley Auguste	Don Gates	Laura Minchew	LaRae Weikert

CHRISTIAN RETAILING: How did your million-seller hits come about?

WOODLEY AUGUSTE: I think it was the popularity of books based on the afterlife and the supernatural. In light of current events, people are asking some questions about faith—most importantly and of course—the afterlife. Books like 23 Minutes in Hell that are in that genre meet that felt need. I think that as things seem to become more chaotic, people were intrigued by asking the question, “Is heaven or hell real?” A book by a realtor that was not a preacher—was just an “Average Joe,” if you will, recounting a vision—I think it really piqued people’s interest.