CBA's new leader, personal product picks and a look at major new releases—listen in as the Christian Retailing editorial team looks to the month ahead.

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TYPE: Chain
Region: Midwest
Location: On a major street, next to store
advertised by gigantic barstools at one end of the parking lot.
APPEARANCE:
INVENTORY:
STAFF:

We've been so concerned about the falling trees, in recent times, that I fear that we have lost sight of the forest.

But it's time to recognize that any discussion about the future of Christian retailing needs to include more than just those of us directly involved in it.

It's time to step back and look at the bigger picture. It's time to remember the bigger story of which we are part. It's time to broaden the conversation.

And we now have an opportunity to do just that, exploring what kind of role Christian stores might have to play in what God is doing and wants to do on a wider scale in the United States—including through their doors.

If we don't, my fear is that we are going to spend all our time mending our leaky umbrella and then turn round and go outside to find it's stopped raining.

The kind of thinking out loud I have in mind was well-captured recently in a blog by a pastor in my U.K. homeland. Simon Jones wrote that it was high time for some "fresh mission thinking and creative partnership between churches and the high (main) street."

After all, he observed, "our neighbors are regularly on the high street and rarely in our (church) buildings. The high street offers something they want. Analysts argue that shopping is a leisure activity and a source of 'spiritual' fulfillment in the absence of traditional organized religion.

"Missional thinkers have been rightly identifying consumerism as a rival god over recent years, which makes the high street the place where we should be—as Paul was in amongst the idols of Athens—living and modeling a different form of spirituality to our neighbors.

"And where better to do this than in a retail space that offers coffee, conversation, Internet access, books for browsing and buying, people to pray, space for groups to gather on a regular basis. The Christian bookshop could become a vital missional space with a bit of imagination on the part of church leaders and Christian retailers."

Admittedly, the church and cultural context is a little different over there, but the broad strokes apply. Jones closed his comments by wondering: "So are we up for this or will we all be lamenting the passing of the Christian presence on the high street the next time we gather at a conference to talk about how to do mission?"

Having expressed similar thinking in this column—that the strategic potential of Christian stores should be on the agenda of some of our national church leadership conferences about missions and outreach—I was interested to learn about two organizations meeting recently to—as the organizers put it—"dialog, discuss and prayerfully design a strategy of how to 'love America to Christ' through evangelism in the next decade."

These two groups were the National City Impact Roundtable (NCIR), a network for "cityreachers" whose focus is to reach whole communities for Christ, and the Mission America Coalition (MAC), which brings together hundreds of denominational and ministry leaders to develop collaborative prayer and evangelism efforts.

Contacting the organizers of the NCIR's "Convergence" meeting and the MAC's "Accelerate 2010" gathering, held in March, I wondered whether Christian retail stores figured on the agenda or in the program in any way?

The short answer turned out to be, no. But as I chatted with Eric Welch, one of the MAC leaders, it became, why not?

As we talked about the dual place Christian stores can hold in a community—as a midway point between church and home for people who may be more comfortable and familiar with stepping into a place of business than a house of worship, and neutral ground on which different churches could come together—he acknowledged their strategic potential.

Welch followed up by suggesting there might be value in adding a network specifically related to Christian retailing to the others he serves as national facilitator for MAC's roster of almost 30 existing networks.

In the past few years these have grown to include groups focused on everything from arts and entertainment to emergency preparedness, "marketplace" business ministries and prison ministries. They exist to "provide ongoing opportunities for connection, cooperation and collaboration," serving as "forums for sharing ideas, discussing topical issues (and) strengthening collective response to common challenges."

Welch suggested that a similar network for Christian retailing might aim to "mobilize Christians to share the Gospel story clearly with those around them through Christian products and services" and "promote collaborative relationships between Christian retailers and cityreaching networks." Sounds good to me.

I'm hoping that CBA may consider exploring how it could be part of this possibility, but I think that it is one that goes beyond just the trade association. We need rank-and-file participation, not just representatives.

So, what do you think? While we have many important issues to deal with in the here and now, shouldn't we also be taking some time to look to the future? Would you like to be part of some possibility thinking? If you feel a stirring to explore some of this, make contact with Eric Welch (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) and me (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

Plan ahead to make the most of this year's annual event for stores

Training, fellowship, inspiration and business await retailers at Christian Retailing's The Gathering 2010, to be held at Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, Ky.

In its sixth year, The Gathering is open to all Christian retailers and suppliers. The April 21-23 event will feature guest speakers Brian Zahnd, founder and senior pastor of Word of Life Church in St. Joseph, Missouri, and author of What to Do on the Worst Day of Your Life (Strang Book Group), and Kyle Idleman, teaching minister at Southeast, where more than 18,000 people attend.

Wednesday evening, George Thomsen, chair-elect and independent retailer director of CBA and manager of The Harvest Store in Riverside, Calif., will field questions from retailers in a town hall-style session.

Suppliers of gifts, books, Bibles, DVDs and more—including Thomas Nelson, NOTW, Tyndale House Publishers, Zondervan and Word Distribution—will be part of the exhibit floor.

Retailers will also have the opportunity to meet some of their favorite authors and artists Thursday evening at the annual Author/Artist Autograph Party & Dessert Extravaganza. Following dinner and the evening program, the authors and artists will be available for signing.

Before the dessert reception that evening, the 2010 Christian Retailing Retailers Choice Awards will be presented, honoring the best new releases of 2009 as voted on by retailers.

In addition, annual awards will be presented for Church Bookstore of the Year—large, medium and small—and for Salesman of the Year and Vendor of the Year.

Attendees will have the opportunity to take a close look at the award-winning store, which occupies close to 3,000 square feet of space and aims to provide its customers with the preaching and teaching of Southeast Christian in various formats.

The Amazing Race

Once again this year, retailers will be invited to participate in The Amazing Race, with cash incentives for stores helping to offset the $150 (before April 15) or $175 (after April 15) registration fee for The Gathering. Attending stores have the opportunity to earn $100 in cash by meeting and/or placing orders with 30 different exhibitors Thursday or Friday morning.

Exhibitors will sign the retailer's Game Card if an order is placed or a qualifying visit is made. If not placing an order, stores must listen to a 5- to 10-minute sales presentation on the exhibitor's products. On Friday afternoon, prior to leaving the event, stores can redeem their game cards for their cash awards.

Food 4 thought

The Gathering will afford retailers opportunities to consider the future of the Christian products industry. During lunch Wednesday, Christian Retailing Editor Andy Butcher will emcee a discussion with Joe Questel of Symtio, a Christian e-book provider launched by Zondervan.

During lunch Thursday, Jerry Bloom, president of Treasures Media in Racine, Wis., will discuss how stores can use remainder books as part of their overall sales strategy.

Training on tap

The Prospective Store Managers School, to be held Tuesday, April 20, just prior to The Gathering 2010 is another opportunity for training. The school, which runs from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., requires a separate registration of $60 before April 15 and $70 thereafter.

Retailers Heidi Macias—manager of Books of Hope at Community of Hope Church in Rosemount, Minn., and Region 6 (Indiana, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin) director for the Church Bookstore Network—and Julie Swecker, manager of Daily Bread Books at Hosanna! Lutheran Church in Lakeville, Minn., will offer advice and instruction to new retailers on six different topics.

They will address creating a business plan and mission statement; a store's legal and financial requirements; managing money with sales forecasts and personnel, purchasing and expense budgets; the importance of maintaining strong relationships with church leadership, congregation members, store staff and volunteers, and outside vendors; putting in place a marketing plan that establishes a store's identity; and store design and inventory.

Tuesday night, after the Prospective Store Managers School and prior to the start of The Gathering, attendees will also be invited to a special church service also open to the public.

At The Gathering, workshops will be led by various presenters, including Terri Williams of Tony Evans' Oak Cliff Christian Fellowship in Dallas and Scott Etheridge, sales consultant for Thomas Nelson.

And for the first time, the education track during The Gathering will offer classes for church librarians and coffee bar personnel in each of the workshop sessions.

The final workshop will be a super session on children's products. Speaker Mary Manz Simon, a children's author and market expert, will focus on an overview of the children's department in today's economy, addressing such questions as: Do summer reading programs, loyalty perks and customization make a difference?

Details, details

Within driving distance of major cities, the church is located just off of I-64 and close to I-65. Southwest Airlines also flies into Louisville.

Several hotels near the church offer affordable rates for Gathering-goers. See the rates at www.christianretailing.com.

Shuttle service from the hotels is provided to Southeast Christian Church. The church also will provide shuttle service to the airport at the close of The Gathering.

As for meals, complementary breakfasts are offered at the hotels, while lunch and dinner will be provided as part of the event.

A tour of the host church campus is scheduled for Tuesday morning. While it is important to wear comfortable shoes, the church does have elevators and escalators.

Retailers who have previously attended The Gathering have often expressed appreciation for the time with their fellow retailers. This year there is a designated time where retailers can meet with other stores from their own region.

How much does it cost?

Registration for The Gathering 2010 is $150 (before April 15) or $175 (after April 15), but stores can attend free of charge by visiting the Virtual Christian Restock Connection and placing a qualifying order, a one-time order of $500 with one of the participating vendors. Click here for details.

The Prospective Store Managers School requires a separate registration of $60 before April 15 and $70 thereafter.

Workshops

Session 1

Coffee Bar 101: How and Where to Start

Facilitator: Patrick Burns, Trinity Fellowship, Amarillo, Texas

Learn the basics of running a coffee bar in your store.

Match Made in Heaven? Church Stores & Libraries

Facilitator: Dan Ray, Pleasant Valley Baptist Church, Liberty, Mo.

Addresses such topics as the rewards of providing appropriate resources to your clientele and how church bookstores and libraries can enhance each other's efforts.

Volunteers: Recruiting and Training

Facilitator: Terri Williams, Oak Cliff Christian Fellowship, Dallas, and Church Bookstore Network liaison to African-American churches

Learn how to recruit, retail and care for volunteers.

Using New Technology to Market and Sell

Facilitator: Susan Chipman, Granger Community Church, Granger, Ind.

Learn how to use Amazon to increase sales and decrease inventory, and how to use Facebook and Twitter for marketing.

It's in the Bag: Packaging to Perfection

Facilitator: Deb & Kelly Graham,
Prestonwood Baptist Church, Plano, Texas

Discover how bags, sacks and gift baskets can speak volumes about your store.

The Bible: The Core of Our Stores' Purpose

Facilitator: Dean Cook, Thomas
Nelson

Simple tips and training tools to help staff facilitate the purchase of a Bible.

Session 2

Coffee Bar 201: Fine-Tuning Your Operation

Facilitator: Patrick Burns, Trinity Fellowship, Amarillo, Texas

Hiring staff and finding with volunteers, plus discussion on the operation of a café.

Management 101: Being the Best You Can Be

Facilitator: George Thomsen, chair-elect, CBA

Managing Your Library Inventory: What To Buy, To Keep and Weed Out

Facilitator: Dan Ray, Pleasant Valley Baptist Church, Liberty, Mo.

Offers useful ways for libraries to keep inventory in check.

Other Options for Churches: Independents Owning Church Stores

Facilitator: Bill Tilley, The Faithful Source, Ashburn, Va.

The future is now. Learn how you can own and operate a bookstore in a church. Make it a win-win for you and the church.

Building Bridges with Your Church Ministries

Facilitator: Sara Peters, Southeast Christian Church, Louisville, Ky.

Ministries within the church can be our best customers. Find out how to build relationships with other ministries and show how you really are the best resource.

Buying For and Marketing to Youth

Facilitator: Anthony Artry, Abundant Living Family Church, Rancho
Cucamonga, Calif.

Discover ways to order product, including music, that will appeal to 21st-century youth. Marketing ideas and the importance of controlling inventory in the area of youth product and music will be discussed.

Session 3

Coffee Bar Meets Ministry: Making Your Coffee Bar a Viable Part of Your Church Ministry

Facilitator: Patrick Burns, Trinity Fellowship, Amarillo, TX

Is your coffee bar meeting ministry needs? This module will look at how to make this happen, while offering innovative ways to attract groups within the church.

Special Events: Bookstores and Libraries Can Sponsor Them Together

Facilitator: Dan Ray, Pleasant Valley Baptist Church, Liberty, Mo.

A panel of bookstore managers and library directors. You will also learn how to manage competition between the bookstore and library.

Stirring the Store: Merchandising Your Store

Facilitator: Dena Meade, Southeast Christian Church, Louisville, Ky.

Learn to create a fresh look in your store to sell gifts and books. Stir things up, give it eye appeal and watch it sell.

Wise Buys and Wise Buyers: The Key to Financial Success

Facilitator: Troy Baker, Tyndale House Publishers

Buying wisely and controlling the inventory are keys to financial success. Learn how to deal with the available buying options.

Churches: A Whole New Market

Facilitator: Scott Etheridge, Thomas Nelson

This workshop will give you the necessary tools to reach out to other small- to medium-size churches in your community.

Church Bookstore Roundtable

Facilitator: Rusty Miller, Cherry Hills Community Church, Highlands Ranch, Colo., and Rick Jones,
Bellevue Baptist Church, Memphis, Tenn.

A directed discussion on topics including customer service, frequent buyer programs, coupons and discounts.

Friday Super Session

Children's Products

Facilitator: Mary Manz Simon, children's author and expert

An overview of the children's department in today's post-recession economy.

Schedule

Tuesday, April 20

11:30 a.m.-8 p.m. Prospective Store Managers School: Managing a Successful Church Bookstore

Separate registration required.

Wednesday, April 21

7:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Registration opens, Southeast Christian Church lobby

7:30-8:45 a.m. Shuttle service to church

7:45-8:45 a.m. Meet with stores from your region

9 a.m.-10 a.m. Tour of Southeast Christian Church

10:15-11:30 a.m. A call to our industry and prayer for stores

11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Food 4 Thought Luncheon—e-books

1:15-2:15 p.m. Session 1 Workshops

2:30-3:30 p.m. Session 2 Workshops

4-5 p.m. Session 3 Workshops

5:15-6:45 p.m. Food 4 Though Dinner

7-9 p.m. Special evening event: ”Not a Fan” with Kyle Idleman

9-9:30 p.m. Shuttle service to select hotels

Thursday, April 22, 2010

7:30 a.m.–6 p.m. Registration

8:15-8:45 a.m. Shuttle service to church

8:45-9:05 a.m. Worship

9:05-9:25 a.m. Brian Zahnd, senior pastor of Word of Life Church in Saint Joseph, Mo., and author of Unconditional? (Charisma House/Strang Book Group)

9:25-9:30 a.m. Announcements

9:30 a.m.-noon Exhibit hall opens

Noon-1:15 p.m. Food 4 Thought Luncheon—bargain books

1:15-6 p.m. Exhibit hall re-opens

6-7:30 p.m. Dinner/Retailers Choice Awards and evening with authors and artists

7:30-9:30 p.m. Autograph party

9-9:30 p.m. Shuttle service to select hotels

Friday, April 23

7:30 a.m.-noon Registration

7:30- 8:45 a.m. Shuttle service

7:45-8:40 a.m. Meet with stores from your region

8:45-9:05 a.m. Worship

9:05-9:25 a.m. Guest speaker

9:25-9:30 a.m. Announcements

9:30 a.m.-noon Exhibit hall open

Noon-1:20 p.m. Food 4 Thought Luncheon—potpourri

1:30-2:30 p.m. Workshop presentation: Children's Products Super Session

2:30-3 p.m. Final wrap-up

3 p.m. Conference ends

3 p.m. Shuttle service to Louisville International Airport (SDF)

Exhibitors

AMG Publishers

Angela Courte International

Art of the Spirit

Bec & Chelle Candles

Bookstore Manager

Bridge Logos Publishers

Bridgestone Multimedia Group

CBA

CMD Gifts

Creation By Design

Crossway Books & Bibles

DaySpring Cards

Dierdre Handcrafted Jewelry

Discovery House Music

Euforma

Every Good Gift

Foundation Publications

Gospel Light

Hachette Book Group USA

His Gem

Innovative

Inspired Faith

InterVarsity Press

JHouse Publishing

Kerusso

Kingdom Retail Solutions

Kingstone Media Group

Lighthouse Christian Products

New Day Christian Distributors

New Hope Publishers

New Leaf Publishing Group

No Greater Joy

NOTW/Truth Soul Armor

One Touch Awakening

Petragraphics

Prayer Shop Publishers

Revelation Marketing Group

Right Stuff Kids

Rose Publishing

SAS & Associates/Wholesale Christian Books

SDS Design

Servant Marketing

Show Offs Art

Spring Arbor

Standard Publishing

STL Distribution

Strang Book Group

Symtio

Thomas Nelson

Tree of Life Books

Tyndale House Publishers

Vatican Library Collection
Wingspread Publishers

Word Distribution

Waterbrook Multnomah
Publishing Group

Word of Life

Zondervan

List accurate at press time. For a full list, click here.

A look back at 10 years of Retailers Choice Awards winners offers a fascinating overview of a decade of significant change for the Christian products industry.

The 200-plus trophies that have been presented to date—excluding this year's, to be announced this month—chart the enduring appeal and impact of established names and voices, while also spotlighting the emergence of significant new figures.

The span also brings back to attention major international, social and cultural milestones that left their mark at Christian retail stores, from Hollywood to the Middle East.

Here is how Christian retailers across the country have viewed the best new products they were able to introduce to customers in the previous year:

2001

Incorporated initially as the IGGYs, the Inspirational Giftware Gift of the Year awards, the first year featured the dramatic work of artist Thomas Blackshear. His stunning picture of Christ holding up a stricken man in contemporary clothes holding a crucifixion hammer, took the Gift Book award for Forgiven (DaySpring) and the Stationery prize for the Forgiven Witness Card (DaySpring).

Solid Light's I Broke a Rule tee won the Accessories/Apparel category, while Cross Gifts' A Mother's Heart was voted best Jewelry, and Goodwin Weavers' Song of Sol. 2:12 throw was named the best Decorative Accessory.

Other awards included DaySpring's Cross of Nails (Collectibles), Carpentree's The Sword of the Spirit (Wall Décor) and Thomas Nelson's A Mother's Memories to Her Child and a corresponding edition for fathers, each featuring the art of Thomas Kinkade (Memories).

2002

A new name to many, John Eldredge took the central Christian Living category with his Wild at Heart (Thomas Nelson) manifesto describing men's threefold quest for an adventure to live, a battle to fight and a beauty to win. Another award that signaled a significant newcomer was the Charismatic win for Tommy Tenney's The God Catchers (Thomas Nelson).

The pair joined more well-established figures like Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins, whose The Mark, the eighth installment in their wildly successful "Left Behind" series unsurprisingly was named for Fiction: General. James Dobson's Nightlight (Multnomah) was top Devotional, while Frank Peretti's personal recollection of overcoming childhood hurts, The Wounded Spirit, was voted best Nonfiction.

Best Series was shared by Howard Publishing's "Hugs" and Siloam Press' "The Bible Cure" booklets. Other winners included Newsboys for Shine—The Hits (Sparrow Records, Rock/Alternative), Phillips, Craig & Dean's Let My Words Be Few (Sparrow, Inspirational) and Zondervan's Women of Faith Study Bible (Bibles, General).

2003

No one seriously doubted that Rick Warren's The Purpose-Driven Life (Zondervan) would be the Christian Living pick, but there was some surprise that the LaHaye/Jenkins "Left Behind" juggernaut could be caught. The pair's The Remnant (Tyndale House Publishers), the latest in the series, had to share the Fiction: General award with Donna VanLiere's novella, The Christmas Shoes (Integrity Publishers), based on the weepy title song from NewSong's holiday album of the same name. It took the Adult Contemporary trophy.

Dobson returned with two wins, for Nonfiction (Bringing Up Boys, Tyndale) and Devotionals (Nightlight for Parents, Multnomah) penned with his wife, Shirley. Other established names recognized included Billy Graham (The Name, Thomas Nelson, Evangelism) and Charles Swindoll (Great Lives: Paul, W Publishing Group, Series).

Max Lucado had to share top place with himself for Children's Fiction, split between Hermie: A Common Caterpillar (Tommy Nelson) and You Are Mine (Crossway Books). In music, Michael W. Smith's Worship Again (Reunion Records) scored Praise & Worship, while TobyMac's Momentum took Hip-Hop/R&B.

Kerusso's inspirational Glitter Globes with Bible verses were best in Toys & Games, Carpentree's Names of Jesus took Wall Décor, and Jewelry went to Bob Siemon Designs for its Sterling Silver Word Rings.

2004

Thomas Nelson's groundbreaking "BibleZine" Revolve was judged Bibles: General of the year, while the publisher also took Series for its "Women of Faith Study Guide" set. Warren's blockbuster continued to make an impact, with Spanish going to Vida Publishers for the translation, Una Vida Con Proposito, and the Gift Book category to Zondervan for Daily Inspiration for the Purpose-Driven Life.

The important Christian Living honor went to Lucado's Next Door Savior (W Publishing Group) as Philip Yancey's What's So Amazing About Grace? (Zondervan) took Evangelism. Stephen Mansfield's The Faith of George W. Bush won Nonfiction for Charisma House, while Francine Rivers' And the Shofar Blew was top Fiction: General.

Lighthouse Christian Products' You Are Loved voice-message photo frame was named General Gift Product. Bob Siemon Designs' ″Fashion Jewelry Collection″ took the Jewelry honor, and in music, Newsboys' Adoration (Sparrow) secured Adult Contemporary.

2005

As Dan Brown's general market novel about Jesus' supposed lineage prompted a string of evangelical responses correcting his heresies, Darrell L. Bock's contribution, Breaking the Da Vinci Code (Nelson Books/Thomas Nelson) was chosen as the year's leading Nonfiction.

Mel Gibson's The Passion of The Christ had also made an impact beyond Christian retail, seeing Bob Siemon Designs' officially licensed ″The Passion Jewelry Collection″ selected for Accessories/Apparel. P. Graham Dunn's Names of God carved cross was considered best in Decorative Accessories, and Wall Decor went to Carpentree for The Ten Commandments for Marriage.

Lucado took Christian Living once more, with Come Thirsty (W Publishing). VeggieTales' Sumo of the Opera (Big Idea) was named best DVD/Video, while Chris Tomlin's Arriving (sixstepsrecords) took Praise & Worship.

2006

The rising significance for Christian retail of DVDs—directly and indirectly—was noticeable with Rob Bell's 10th "Nooma" short-form entry, Lump, securing the best DVD/Video place, while VeggieTales' Tolkien take-off, The Lord of the Beans, was best Children's Media.

Meanwhile, Bob Siemon Designs' "The Chronicles of Narnia" Jewelry Display, an official license for the first "Narnia" movie, was voted best in Collectibles. Steve Saint's End of the Spear (SaltRiver/Tyndale), tied to the movie of the same name about his father's martyrdom, was top Auto/Biography. David Gregory's Dinner With a Perfect Stranger (WaterBrook Press), also movie-related, was the top Christian Living title.

Fiction: General went to Frank Peretti for Monster (WestBow Press/Thomas Nelson), and Fiction: Mystery & Suspense was won by Terri Blackstock's Last Light (Zondervan).

Eldredge featured three times, taking Devotionals for The Ransomed Heart (Nelson Books) and Women's Nonfiction for Captivating (Nelson Books), written with his wife, Stasi. The pair also shared the Personal Growth/Prayer win for Captivating: A Guided Journal (Nelson Impact).

2007

Middle East concerns were reflected with the award for Social Issues to John Hagee for Jerusalem Countdown (FrontLine/Strang Communications) and Christian Living for Joel C. Rosenberg's Epicenter (Tyndale House).

Sheila Walsh's "Gigi" series continued to grow in popularity, taking Children's Fiction with Gigi, God's Little Princess: The Royal Tea Party and Children's Nonfiction for God's Little Princess Devotional Bible, both from Tommy Nelson/Thomas Nelson.

Zondervan's Inspired By... The Bible Experience New Testament recording was named best Audio, Peterson's The Message Remix: Pause (NavPress) took Bibles: General, and Bibles; Devotional/Study went to The Archaeological Study Bible (Walter C. Kaiser Jr. and Duane Garrett, Zondervan).

Familiar names dominated Fiction, with Blackstock's Night Light (Zondervan) the General winner and Karen Kingsbury's Found (Tyndale House) for Women's. Peretti and Ted Dekker—whose first win was in 2005—shared Mystery & Suspense for their co-written House (WestBow Press). MercyMe's Coming Up to Breathe (INO Records) was judged best Adult Contemporary.

2008

Sherwood Pictures was the big newcomer, taking the award for DVD/Video with the surprise hit, Facing the Giants (Provident Films/Provident-Integrity Distribution). Zondervan's follow-up full recording of the Scriptures, Inspired By... The Bible Experience: The Complete Bible had to share the Audio title with Thomas Nelson and its The Word of Promise New Testament Audio Bible.

Though one of the year's best-selling titles, Tony Dungy's Quiet Strength (with Nathan Whitaker, Tyndale House), similarly had to share honors—splitting Auto/Biography with John Piper's Amazing Grace in the Life of William Wilberforce (Crossway).

Meanwhile there was a rare three-way tie. Women's Nonfiction went to A New Kind of Normal (Carol Kent, Thomas Nelson), Don't Bet Against Me! (Deanna Favre with Angela Hunt, Tyndale House) and Slightly Bad Girls of the Bible (Liz Curtis Higgs, WaterBrook Press).

Kerusso's "Pick Jesus" guitar picks were voted best General Gift Product, Carpentree's As For Me "Master's Forge" metal iron works plate wall hanger took Wall Décor, and Dianna Marcum's "Don't Worry Be Happy" Pass-It-On-Card was tops in Toys & Games.

2009

Francis Chan's winning of the important Christian Living category with his debut book, Crazy Love (David C. Cook), underscored the widely acknowledged impact the book about radical discipleship had made. Less unexpected were the novelization of the movie Fireproof (Eric Wilson, Thomas Nelson) taking Fiction: General and the movie tie-in The Love Dare (B&H Books/B&H Publishing Group) from director brothers Alex and Stephen Kendrick winning Relationships.

Evangelism went to Warren for The Purpose of Christmas (Howard Books), while capping another strong launch was the Bibles: General award to the ESV Study Bible (Crossway).

First-time winners included pamphlet and map company Rose Publishing, whose Rose Guide to the Tabernacle was judged tops in Bible Reference/Study, and Mike Berenstain, whose family's popular bear characters brought a new, faith-based message in Zondervan's Children's Fiction favorite The Berenstain Bears Go to Sunday School.

Returning winners included Bell (DVD/Video: Nooma 19, Open, Zondervan), Kingsbury (Fiction: Women's, Sunset, Tyndale House) and Beth Moore (Women's Nonfiction: John: 90 Days With the Beloved Disciple, B&H Books/B&H Publishing Group).

The 2010 awards—this month

Since their introduction, Christian Retailing's Retailers Choice Awards have become increasingly acknowledged as an important way of recognizing some of the most significant new life-changing products in the Christian retail industry.

Christian store personnel—owners, managers, frontline staff and volunteers—are asked to judge the nominations on the impact they have had on staff and customers, including their ability to:

speak to people's hearts and evoke emotion

open people's minds to new ways of thinking

encourage and affirm Christ-like living.

Previously announced during the International Christian Retail Show, the winners will be named for the first time, this year, at Christian Retailing's own event, The Gathering 2010, at Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, Ky., April 21-23.

For more details, go to www.retailerschoiceawards.com.

Leading Bible suppliers on maximizing God's Word at Christian retail

Bibles, the cornerstone of Christian publishing, remain the best category in which Christian retailers can differentiate themselves from other channels.

Christian Retailing Editor Andy Butcher discussed the challenges of the category and what suppliers are doing to help with representatives of five leading suppliers:

Gary Davidson, senior vice president and publisher, Thomas Nelson's Bible Group

Todd Niemeyer, vice president for trade sales, Zondervan

Jeffrey Smith, director of Bible marketing, Tyndale House Publishers

Brian Vos, director of Bibles, Baker Publishing Group

Read edited excerpts here. To listen in on the entire conversation, click here.

CHRISTIAN RETAILING: It seems that Bibles are seeing something of a renaissance as an area of focus for Christian stores. Do you agree?

SMITH: I would absolutely agree. ... Bibles are really the DNA of how many Christian retailers started a business. ... If (Christian stores can be) the Bible-selling place ... it can be used as a strategic advantage.

NIEMEYER: I would definitely echo that. We've seen continued interest in Bible training and how to merchandise the Bible department. There is continued confusion from the consumer side of things when they walk into a Bible department, and we are consistently looking for ways to help the consumer select the (right) Bible.

DAVIDSON: I think the opportunity (is there) for Christian retailers ... They have that knowledge and that core belief in the Word of God. ... Among all the other products they sell, (the Bible is) that one thing that can set them apart and bring customers back again and again because they have that kind of expertise.

VOS: I think publishers have a responsibility to help the CBA retailer independents. ... When it comes to the consumer walking through the door and looking at all these Bibles we as publishers have put on the shelves, we need to help (stores) with training, we need to help them with ways to merchandise their department to reduce the confusion.

CHRISTIAN RETAILING: There's an almost overwhelming selection of Bibles—styles, editions, translations. How can stores keep on top of things?

JAHNS: I think there is something like 7,000 different Bible editions and it's hard for anybody to get their mind around that. I think they (need to be) very watchful of what's selling well, but also be introducing new things all the time to become part of their core.

CHRISTIAN RETAILING: How closely do you work with retailers in initiating new editions?

DAVIDSON: We're working harder and harder to get consumer research on the different styles we bring out, especially line extensions, because we want to be as close to the center core of our audience and what they are looking for (as possible) and not bring out things that are just going to sit there and waste inventory and shelf space.

CHRISTIAN RETAILING: What do you offer stores in terms of training and education on product?

SMITH: We have an integrated training program that uses both online training and a CD that the store associate can take home and use at their leisure. We also have manuals. ... It's just vital for Christian retailers to have that strategic (product knowledge) advantage from a service standpoint because if it is all about self-service, I think we're going to lose.

We have to be in tune with our customers, we have got to know what their needs are and we really need to be wise in what we select. Core inventory is absolutely vital. In a tight economic environment, we've almost got to view products as blood money, missional money, and to tell a retailer to take in a great deal of good product means they are going to end up sacrificing very limited economic resources on the best product.

VOS: The sales reps are really critical in the training of stores and communicating about the product. We publish resources that focus on Cambridge Bibles and high-quality Bibles and also information about the God's Word translation. But as far as communication to the stores and training on the product and also the feedback from the stores to us, the sales rep really plays a critical role. We had an instance recently where we had feedback from accounts that their readers were looking for children's Bibles in the King James Version and so that was really informative in directing some of our publishing activities.

JAHNS: We have been involved in several of the industry initiatives for training over the years, some of which I think have been helpful and some we've had to go back to the drawing board on ... but that was for the general Bible category. We also produce online and hard-copy training tools, especially for ESV (English Standard Version) Bible products.

NIEMEYER: We have also been (part of) the industry initiatives. We've had an online Bible training program for several years now. I want to encourage some creative thinking on this whole thing. We educate the frontliners so the frontliners can educate the consumers. But what could the stores do, what can the retailers do to educate the consumers? I know with Home Depot they have their classes on how to build a deck. Where is the model for how to buy a Bible? Where's the model for handing every consumer that walks in the door (a handout about) the 10 common questions that most people ask when buying a Bible?

DAVIDSON: We have, as the other publishers do, online training, videos, DVDs. We are in the process of expanding our Web site to help educate people on the Bible. I think the future will hopefully be on the Web, where we can keep it current and fresh and it not be something that we launch and then three years later it's kind of stale.

We have all those tools now, but we are not sure how effective they are as far as, does the store use them? I think that the struggle for all publishers is how do we train the stores better to sell our product. It would be nice if there was one comprehensive thing that we all have, our own translation charts, all of those things are available.

CHRISTIAN RETAILING: We are in a time when people are very price conscious, but are stores discounting too much on Bibles?

VOS: Because of the price pressures, we had been in the mind-set for a couple of years that we needed to always focus on the lowest-priced Bibles, even with Cambridge, and we learned that we need to always present the best Bibles first. I would like to see more emphasis on the quality and the value and not always on the lowest price, but that's somewhat of a unique perspective with the high-quality Bibles.

NIEMEYER: It's important to have promotions, but I think it comes to a point where you kind of devalue the brand.

JAHNS: There are Bibles that are priced very inexpensively for various purposes—for outreach and other things—but many people are coming to purchase a lifetime kind of Bible and so they are very willing to invest in a good-quality one. I would like to see more of those carried, even if they are in small quantities.

SMITH: I think that when we are driving Bibles into a commodity zone, in essence we are hurting each other and hurting Christian retailers by cutting margin.

VOS: We are setting an expectation for the consumer. If we keep doing it and keep doing it, the consumer walks into the store and immediately goes to the sale Bibles and not necessarily the Bible that they need.

CHRISTIAN RETAILING: Some of the recent Christian retail channel exclusives have been centered on the Bible. Are there plans for any more?

JAHNS: We are still getting some results back from our Share the Good News at Christmas (ESV New Testament), I know that somewhere between 700,000 and 800,000 units were delivered to homes and we felt like it was a great way for retailers to connect with churches and for churches to connect with their neighbors. We would like to figure out ways to make that available for other occasions or certainly on an annual basis.

NIEMEYER: We are currently looking at an exclusive for some of the marketing groups and a couple of other things. For the past several years, we have done a graduation Bible that has specific graduation packaging, and at the end of the time frame, you can take that packaging off and it becomes just your typical compact. Another thing we are doing, we have come out with The Case for Christ Study Bible with Lee Strobel, and we are doing samplers specifically for CBA with, hopefully, the opportunity for the consumer to come back and purchase the entire text.

CHRISTIAN RETAILING: What has been the impact in the last couple of years on the Bible categories of both audio and digital?

NIEMEYER: I think it's been a good thing for print Bibles. I think a different way of getting people into the word is nothing but good for business, as well as the CBA independents.

DAVIDSON: Well, of course, the Word of Promise was huge this last Christmas, and it does have a positive impact on our translation and the print Bible as well, so we are excited about that. Digital is coming, but I don't see it decreasing the Bible itself in the print form. People want those as heirlooms and to take to church, that sort of thing.

CHRISTIAN RETAILING: Do you have any basic suggestions for stores in terms of Bible merchandising, display and promotions? For starters, where should Bibles go?

SMITH: Up front ... both from ministry impact and strategic importance. (That helps) differentiate Christian bookstores. But there is also a cash-flow standpoint. I know there is a fundamental business principle that you put destination shopping in the back and people are supposed to walk through there, but if you can get Bibles closer to the front of the store, I think, frankly, we can get a higher ring that would be advantageous to the Christian retailer.

NIEMEYER: Basic, number one, is making it easy for the consumer. Retailers should put themselves in the shoes of a consumer, walk in your store and look to see what they see. How easy or how difficult is it to purchase a Bible? The second thing is have a best-seller section for Bibles. Make it easy for the consumer, again, to see what folks are buying, what the popular Bibles are. Have a new release section for Bibles.

VOS: Part of seeing the Bible section from the customer's eyes, building on that, is also getting to know the readers as they come in and building a relationship with them—whether that be through a discussion in the store or inviting those people to a Facebook group for your store or that sort of thing.

CHRISTIAN RETAILING: Do you have a major Bible project or product coming up?

NIEMEYER: We have The Case for Christ Study Bible coming out (in March), and we're very excited about it.

VOS: This summer we are releasing a King James study Bible for boys and a study Bible for girls that we are very excited about. That is by our best-selling author Dr. Larry Richards, and then we are also working on an exciting project with a best-selling and teen author for next spring.

What is the vision of the Mission America Coalition (MAC)? " 'The whole church taking the whole gospel to the whole nation-and to the whole world,' which is a national expression of an international collaboration."

What is the history? "In 1974, Billy Graham invited Christian leaders around the world to Lausanne, Switzerland, to discuss world evangelization. Out of that came the Lausanne Covenant, written by Dr. John Stott. The U.S. delegation (members) decided that when they returned home to the U.S., they should continue to meet as the U.S. Committee for the Lausanne Movement. This national group continued to collaborate-as did many other countries-to pray and seek God, and ask, 'What can we do better together than apart?' There have been multiple collaborative initiatives over the years, such as the Lighthouse Movement, but the primary mission has been facilitating collaborative evangelism, in word and deed. In the mid-1990s, the U.S. Committee for Lausanne changed its name to Mission America Coalition.

"Also, in the mid '90s, the leadership team began to recognize and promote collaborative evangelism in cities. In March, Mission America Coalition hosted the 11th annual City Impact Roundtable, where cityreaching leaders came together in a learning community, to discuss collaborative prayer, collaborative evangelism and community transformation. Some of the various 'streams' of Mission America Coalition include denominational and local church leaders, ministry leaders, ministry network leaders, cityreaching leaders, marketplace leaders and global evangelism leaders.

Mission America Coalition promotes collaborative evangelism as a combination of praying, caring and sharing the love of Jesus Christ with a focus on Christ's desire for unity as described in John 17:20-23. Additional details as well as a copy of the Lausanne Covenant are given in the 'About the Coalition' section of www.missionamerica.org."

Listen as the editors of Christian Retailing magazine discuss the latest in industry news, Bibles, new products and more. Get a behind-the-scenes look as they talk about the big win of Oscar-nominated The Blind Side during the recent Faith & Values Awards Gala, the new faith bands from Swanson Christian Products, Barbour Publishing's latest Countertop Inspirations cookbooks and Christian Retailing's Retailers Choice Awards.

{mp3}Rountable3-2010{/mp3}

Click here to download the file.

TYPE: Chain
Region: West
Location: In a suburban area, directly across
the street from a large, well-known church without a bookstore
APPEARANCE: 0
INVENTORY:
STAFF: 0

External appearance: Despite the familiar chain’s sign mounted on a tall pole, the store was easily missed, tucked behind a beauty salon and across a littered parking lot from a convenience store.

Window display: The glass of both front doors, on either side of the register, was heavily smudged with fingerprints, suggesting it had not been cleaned in some time. A large “Clearance Sale” sign almost completely filled the expanse of one of the doors.

Entrance: A neon “open” sign was lit above one of the front doors.
Layout and inventory: The Bible area, to the front, was well-organized, with translation signage above various sections and Bible covers neatly displayed, but things went downhill further inside.
Scraps of paper littered the carpet. The clearly marked Fiction section at the rear of the store was blocked for access by 31 boxes, most unopened. The adjacent Church Supply area overflowed onto the floor, with an expensive communion cup tray with lid askew tilted precariously on some boxes.

In the Music area, standard racks showcased face-front CDs, neatly labeled and alphabetically organized. But against the wall was an entire empty section, with bits and pieces obviously left over from previous in-store merchandising displays.

The television, hanging from above, played a video while different music played throughout the store. A second television, hanging above the children’s area, was filled with “snow.”

The floor seemed to be used for overflow product in various places: a stack of videos on the floor, gift bags teetering in a pile, plush products on the floor in the children’s area.
Meanwhile, empty shelves and endcaps dotted the store. Boxes labeled with black Magic Marker lettering were stashed above the shelves in the entire left half of the store.

In the children’s area, a stack of books on the floor was almost toppling over. Two piles of gift bags were piled high under a bag rack. Kiosks at the front displayed sale items, including a section for Christmas clearance with a stack of six boxed ornaments dated more than a year previously.

The unisex bathroom at the rear of the store was a nightmare—peeling wallpaper, a ring around the toilet, no paper towels, something sticky on the floor, mops leaning against the wall and book racks stashed in the room, making it hard to move.

Staff: Two female frontliners were on duty, heavily engaged in conversation with one another and apparently unaware that there were customers in the store. They didn’t seem to notice when the background music suddenly switched off.

Verdict: Match space to inventory. Use the store to display product and a backroom to store product. Hire a cleaning service. Teach frontliners the basics of customer service.

If this were your regular store? I would shop at a different Christian chain store about 15 minutes away.

Would a non-Christian feel comfortable here? Only if they are accustomed to self-service and don’t need to use the bathroom.

What will you remember of your visit? Feeling embarrassed that I brought someone along with me.

THE STORE RE­SPONDS: Store management declined to respond.

Part of what makes being involved in Christian retailing both exacting and exciting at the same time, these days, is that there is no one easy fix out there. The changing times and market require awareness and action across a wide range of challenges and opportunities.

But one area that's worth highlighting right now for some special thought and attention is movies.

We've reported in recent times how DVD sales have exploded in Christian retail stores in the past year or so. Fireproof was largely responsible for that, but not exclusively—we have also seen growth in the study group and "Nooma"-style shorts.

But not since Mel Gibson surprised Hollywood with the success of The Passion of The Christ —and let's remember that was six years ago, before we had really begun to notice that Christian retail's traditional foundation was starting to crumble—has there been such secular media buzz about Christianity at the multiplex.

The recent huge success of The Blind Side, based on the true story of an unabashedly Christian white family's adoption of a homeless African-American teen who becomes a football star, appropriately enough caught everyone off guard.

Critics couldn't ignore the central faith shades to the story—nor could they overlook the strong biblical themes and elements in other general releases The Book of Eli, which found Denzel Washington violently curating the last known copy of the Bible in a journey across post-apocaylptic America, or Legion, which saw angels sent to wipe out mankind.

While all three films have prompted water cooler conversations about faith, chances are you will only ever find The Blind Side at Christian retail stores in the days ahead.

That's because although Christians may be happy that there are movies out there in the marketplace that are asking hard questions, they mostly want easier answers in their local Christian bookstore.

This is not a criticism, merely an observation of the tension that exists for everyone trying to follow in the footsteps of Fireproof. With its explicit faith content, that film pretty much had everyone in the secular media scratching their heads when it became one of the top indie box office films of 2008.

Others have since tried to replicate the way local Christians were encouraged to support theater runs of Fireproof in their communities—notable among them the recent teen drama release, To Save a Life. It won surprisingly positive reviews from some in secular media that praised the film for being less preachy than most other Christian productions.

But here is the rub: Christian films are for the most part unlikely to make money at the box office. The best hope for revenue is in DVD sales—and that means that they have to be acceptable for a largely conservative constituency at the local Christian bookstore. Push the envelope too far and it will be marked "return to sender."

At a strategic level, meanwhile, the trend of local churches sponsoring theater engagements for Christian films offers Christian stores a great opportunity to connect with congregations in their area.

There is a new recognition among independents that strong ties with churches will be a key to their survival, and partnering in screening campaigns is one way to develop them by helping to meet a clear need.

Some retailers have already gotten involved with such efforts, but more should be looking to—thereby both supporting local ministry efforts and building their own brand awareness.

In-store, retailers need to exercise discernment on two levels.

First, some general market releases have been pitched to the Christian retail community with "spiritual application" marketing that stretches credulity. There is nothing wrong with carrying plain, wholesome family entertainment, but let's not try to spiritualize everything with some lame Bible study.

Sometimes a movie is just a movie about three chipmunks, and not a new way of looking at the Trinity, no matter how much you scrunch up your eyes and talk about "symbolism."

Then there's the fact that, let's be honest, while some of the new raft of Christian movies are really quite good, some of them are still pretty bad. Seems like every church with more than ten members and access to a digital camera is making its own film. Some need to stick to sermons.

I am not knocking big ideas and low budgets. There's probably no better recent example of what can be achieved with determination and dedication than Burns Family Studios' Pendragon: Sword of His Father. It's hard to believe that the admirable Dark Ages drama is, essentially, the work of two homeschooling families with a big back yard.

But let's just remember that while technology may level the playing field, there are some teams that need to do a bit more practice first. Let's not lose the potential in this area, by exercising some quality control.

TYPE: Chain

Region: South Central

Location: College town; off interstate, between an Office Max and empty store in semi-empty strip with freshly blacktopped parking lot.

10-Point Rating:

Appearance: 8

Inventory: 10

Staff: 9

Overall: 90%

Sliding scale: Just about classy.

Getting to grips with good product management

With consumer spending down, inventory control has become an even more critical discipline for retailers.

Christian Retailing Editor Andy Butcher discussed this important issue in our latest online Retailers Roundtable with:

• Eric Grimm, business development director, CBA
• Robbie Halstead, president, Kingdom Retail Solutions
• Lorraine Valk, co-owner, Banner Books Parable Christian Store of St. Joseph, St. Joseph, Mich.

Listen in on the whole conversation at retailers-roundtable.christianretailing.com.

CHRISTIAN RETAILING: With so many other demands on their time, some Christian retailers might be tempted to put off dealing with inventory control because it is so demanding. How would you respond?

ERIC GRIMM: This is a discipline that should be ongoing. ... It's being able to follow customer demands very closely and do it by even product or customer type throughout the year. If (a) retailer doesn't have a pretty solid inventory strategy in place now, they should get one in place and start working on that on an ongoing basis.

LORRAINE VALK: The most important aspect of the bookstore is managing that inventory extremely closely. That is the one area I have heard that has sunk some people's ships when it just gets out of hand and it feels uncontrollable, so I monitor it every day.

ROBBIE HALSTEAD: You need to get it right at the very beginning of the year, then from there begin to exercise the disciplines and how to maintain it daily, weekly and monthly as well.

CHRISTIAN RETAILING: How can a store keep in tune with what is happening on a day-to-day basis as well as looking at the bigger trends?

GRIMM: Cycle counting is a technique that allows retailers to manage their inventory on an ongoing basis. The best practice (for that) is four times a year, but it is not uncommon for retailers to do it on a monthly basis. In fact, some of the larger companies like convenience stores will do cycle counts monthly and that means counting everything in the store.

You'll find that the stores that have sales increases or flat sales are stores that have a pretty good handle on their inventory. Profitability in a down cycle or down sales is really tied to inventory technique and inventory management.

CHRISTIAN RETAILING: What would you say to retailers who feel overwhelmed by the prospect of tackling a full inventory?

HALSTEAD: In the last two or three months, I have gotten about 15 phone calls from stores who have been open anywhere from three to 15 years who have never really done effective end-of-the-year inventory. It's really just breaking the store down to smaller pieces to be able to dissect it.

It's one thing to do books and music, but when you get down to the gift categories and all those areas, it can be extremely overwhelming. I tell folks to break it down into smaller pieces. If you have a display of one type of product, then that becomes a category in your inventory. If it's Willow Tree product you have, then Willow Tree should be a category and you count that as one unit and go on from there throughout the store.

CHRISTIAN RETAILING: How do you find the time it requires?

VALK: Just sheer determination. We break the store down into different departments. Even the books are broken down into different areas, and certain people are responsible for doing monthly inventory so it's not so overwhelming ... but it's a priority at the same time.

Every day I pull a report from everything that has sold the day before. I use my computer as a tool, but I don't always trust the data that it gives me. ... It's usually 200 items per day, but that gives me a real good idea as to what is selling, what is being replaced. Every day, first thing in the morning, I think it's the best time to just spend 10 to 15 minutes going through and making sure to replenish quickly the things that sold and crossing off the things that are ancient.

CHRISTIAN RETAILING: There is an intuitive part to it, in addition to looking at the numbers?

HALSTEAD: Absolutely. I would never trust (software) completely to run my store. ... But I would use the data as much as I could to help me. It's got to be a balancing act between knowing your store, knowing your customer base and what's moving and not moving.

CHRISTIAN RETAILING: Is it important for all the staff to be aware of the priority of inventory control?

GRIMM: It's a critical part because when you think about how the overall system works, simple things like scanning product in the sales transaction and being sure the product is measured by the SKU becomes a critical discipline because it's that bridge between what's out on the floor and what's in the machine. There are a lot of disciplines like that you don't think of in terms of inventory, but (they) relate directly to inventory.

CHRISTIAN RETAILING: Is inventory control just for the owner or manager?

HALSTEAD: It's for everybody. But it's got to be driven from the top down for this thing to work, and if it's not, then you find that (the) store just doesn't have the inventory control that they should have.

CHRISTIAN RETAILING: How did you come to embrace the importance of inventory control?

VALK: I have an unusual blessing that is hereditary. My parents ran the bookstore for 35 years before my husband and I bought it three years ago. They call my mom the inventory police. ... She had always ingrained in me that if everything stays in balance, everything will be OK.

Since we bought the store, the sales have gone down, but keeping everything in balance—the inventory percentage-wise where it needs to be—keeps us healthy. I am just determined to keep inventory under control, and it's a daily battle. It's like gaining a few pounds and, "Oops, got to get the inventory back down there."

CHRISTIAN RETAILING: Are there different inventory management issues for church-based stores?

HALSTEAD: I have worked in megachurches as well as smaller churches, and they have more time to do the work that it takes to get inventory under control (because they are usually not as busy during the week). There really should be no reason why inventory isn't a priority there for sure.

CHRISTIAN RETAILING: What is the essence of good inventory control?

GRIMM: It's more being able to sell more with less inventory. To generate cash flow, you've got to maximize turns in a way so that you have the most of what customers are asking for in the store and not have your inventory invested in products that don't sell or take a very long time to sell.

CHRISTIAN RETAILING: What do you do when you find items that have not moved?

HALSTEAD: If I go into a store that's recently opened or has been open for 6-12 months and they have a product that just isn't moving, in some cases I will recommend some type of special sale to get the product out of there: Buy two, get one free or 30% off or whatever to get it out of there.

I also take into consideration where the store is financially and whether or not they are able to get cash flow in to them to the bills or whether they would be better off just sending the product back full credit to take care of a vendor that way.

VALK: My first choice is usually to send it back. I do it an awful lot through distributors. They are usually really good about taking product back.

My customer base thinks that the clearance table isn't truly a clearance table until it gets beyond the 50%-off mark. ... They want those clearance items to be $4.99 or $5.99, so generally I find it better to return and reinvest some dollars in bargain products, if that is what they are looking for.

HALSTEAD: I just worked with a church that had opened a store two and a half years ago, and their initial inventory, probably 60% of it, was on the shelf. So after realizing it couldn't be returned and knowing the product that was there probably wasn't product that matched the folks who were visiting the church, we did a sale with paperbacks for $3 and $5 for hardcovers.

They lost a ton of money, but they gained some revenue they never would have got if we had not knocked those books down. ... Within 30 days, we sold $550.

CHRISTIAN RETAILING: Can you offer some practical pointers for stores really wanting to get a handle on inventory control?

GRIMM: Know what you have. ... I remember one retailer who decided to inventory all of his gift products and found that he had gift products that had been in the stores for over two years and he never even realized it.

VALK: Number one, the most important moment of the day is to sit down and go through the inventory you sold yesterday, so you have a good handle on what's moving.

(Also), I would say order the smallest reasonable quantity and figure out a quick replacement place to replenish it. Third, you have to commit to some items that will never get turns in your store—like commentaries.

Pick one set of commentaries, keep the whole set even though some of them will never get the turns and then commit to having other departments that are going to get high turns to cover those items you committed to stock even though they are never going to get the turns that you desire.

HALSTEAD: This seems like common sense in our industry, but really pray. Pray about the product you are bringing in, and make sure you believe is going to move for you. ... Really take the time out to seek God in what you are doing and the products you are bringing in.

(Another) issue is a lot of managers are making their stores personal, meaning the product they are bringing in really reflects them—but may not reflect the people that are coming in. So you need to remove the personal, and find out what target audience you are reaching and really make sure that what you have is reaching them as much as possible.

The other part, as I said in the beginning, would be to take inventory and break it down into pieces and not get so overwhelmed. One step, one hour, one day, one week, one month at a time ... just working as best as you can to get it to a place where it becomes a priority, as it should be.

CHRISTIAN RETAILING: Can you recommend any specific tools or helps?

GRIMM: We have a coaching and consulting program (and) a tool called Custom Inventory Accelerator which really helps reset the store. It looks at where you are at now and then begins the process of eliminating those titles that customers aren't wanting and taking the slow-moving stock off the shelf and putting in more faster-moving stock.

Then there are inventory management tools like Above the Treeline.

VALK: There's an older book by Leonard Shatzkin, The Mathematics of Bookselling. I look at it probably every year just to remind myself on how important those turns are to having a bottom line.

Opportunities exist for retailers and suppliers ready to break new ground

Last year was an extraordinary one for our country by anyone's estimation. This was no less true for Christian and inspirational publishers, manufacturers and retailers. As an industry, we have faced significant challenges in recent times with store closings, suppliers going out of business and an underlying uncertainty about the future.

But the general business rule remains true, that there is always opportunity in some confusion and uncertainty. And through our company's unique vantage point of servicing a wide range of retailers and vendors in the Christian products market over the past 40 years, we believe there is much to get excited about concerning the opportunities in and future of the markets that we serve.

As they talk with retail store buyers and our gift and publisher vendors on a daily basis, our Genesis Marketing Group and Revelation Marketing Group representatives are reminded that opportunities to experience good results in these challenging times do abound for those that are rolling with the punches by doing it right.

From a retail perspective, the stores we serve that are thriving in this environment focus on the following:

RELATIONSHIPS

The successful store works at building and strengthening community relationships. Although how churches are purchasing product has changed—and there is still a healthy market for retailers to sell direct to local congregations—retailers often miss out on trying to connect with those who attend churches in their area.

The vast majority of Christian retail channel shoppers goes to church, and yet on average only a small percentage of church attendees ever shops in a Christian retail store. Innovative retailers focus on going after that market by working with local churches with coupons, youth group fundraisers and other incentives to drive traffic.

SPECIAL MARKETS

According to a recent report by the U.S. Census Bureau, the nation's Hispanic and Asian populations will triple over the next half century, and non-Hispanic whites will represent about one-half of the total population by 2050.

We have retailers that have intentionally pursued this huge purchasing block by creating signage letting potential customers know that they have product in their language and then having a section devoted to books and giftware for this market.

Meanwhile, we continue to hear that the average buyer in a Christian store is female and in her mid-50s. So what can a store do to attract a younger clientele? We have seen phenomenal growth in this segment even this last year with retailers providing products that appeal to a teenage or 20s crowd and then marketing to local colleges and church youth groups to get the word out.

GENERAL GIFTS

We all want to get back to the day when Christian retail stores were destination locations for shoppers. Buyers that bring in the right mix of inspirational and general market gifts and books let their customers know that they can come to their store and find products for all occasions.

A good example includes retailing wholesome cookbooks and current events/political books that consumers would normally head to the local big box to find. We need to remember that if someone does go to a general market store for that cookbook, they might well find the latest Christian best-seller there, too, discouraging them from coming back to our stores.

EXPERIENCE

Winning stores are also working on creating an inviting environment. Why do so many folks love to go to Barnes & Noble? Because it is a comfortable and inviting place to go.

I have visited several Christian retailers in the last year that have really created a warm atmosphere that begs consumers to linger, invite friends and spend time in the store. And it doesn't have to take a big budget to compete with the big stores. It is very possible to create this kind of atmosphere at a budget level with a nice couch and chair or two, free or low-cost coffee and water, and free Wi-Fi.

Many stores also have areas that they have opened up for community or church use and encourage Bible studies, small group meetings and pastor lunches.

MERCHANDISING

Vendors that create visual interest—especially in the gift areas of the store—draw customers in. Are your products displayed in an eye-catching manner? We see dozens of retailers who have figured this out by creating a look that "pops"—a mixture of complimentary product categories, colors and styles that are rotated and changed periodically.

When a customer enters the store, they see something new and this discovery keeps them engaged and returning. Categories for which this works especially well are jewelry, wall art, tabletop gifts, toys and home décor.

From a vendor perspective, successful strategies we have observed this past year include:

INSPIRATION

While general market products can have their place in Christian stores, scriptured and Bible-themed products are still king. Consumers of Christian retailers primarily come because they are looking for intentionally Christian product—be it Bibles, books, giftware or home décor.

Our vendors that have continued to develop and produce these types of products—even when others are cutting back on SKU counts—have seen their business grow due to increased market penetration.

INCENTIVES

Willingness to continue incentives to the retailer, despite the pressure to cut costs, is vital. Vendors who have continued to offer innovative discounts, dating, freight options, free product and display programs to retailers that pay within terms are seeing increased sales.

Without a doubt, vendors more than ever are guarding receivables and cash flow, but finding that sweet spot with retailers is still critical.

I am often asked by retailers, vendors and employees, "Where do you see our industry five years from now?" I do not have the specific answer to that question, but I do know this: There is a demand for Christian books and giftware, and the Christian retailer remains the best means of meeting this demand.

However, success in this area has required and will continue to require significant changes in how retailers relate to prospective and current customers. The demand will also continue to fuel the need for innovative, helpful and Christ-centered publishing and gifts.

So the answer I give is that we all have a responsibility to share the gospel message utilizing the talents and gifts that God has entrusted each of us with—and we'll leave the success and failures to Him because that is what Christ calls us to do: "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well" (Matt. 6:33, NIV).

TYPE: Independent

REGION: Southeast

LOCATION: New bookstore location in the middle of a new mini-strip center.

FIVE-STAR RATING:

INVENTORY:

STAFF:

Listen as the editors of Christian Retailing magazine discuss the latest in industry news, Bibles, new products and more. Get a behind-the-scenes look as they talk about which Christian publishers will have books available for Apple's new iPad digital media device, To Save a Life's impact at the box office and Christian Retailing's The Gathering 2010.

{mp3}Febrountable2010edited{/mp3}

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