New ‘Christian Retailing’ publisher Dave Condiff on the industry’s 'new day'

CHRISTIAN RETAILING: How did you get into the Christian retail industry?

DAVE CONDIFF: I graduated from college with a ministries major and a broadcasting minor, and my wife, Debby, and I relocated to the Denver, Colo., area. The first job I applied for was at a place that filled supermarket racks with Christian books.

As part of that, when I would be in a town calling on the supermarkets, I would also go and visit the local Christian bookstore and start selling books to them because they would also be out of the best-selling titles. I got to see some of the most incredibly nice stores—and also some of the junkiest stores you can ever imagine.

Somewhere in all of that God touched my heart, so when Debby and I went back to the Twin Cities, we felt we should look into opening a store of our own.

What do you miss now about not being directly involved in retail?

Relationships with people, with customers. Our store was right next door to a Catholic church. Some of our most active customers were charismatic Catholic believers, and every week when they got a paycheck, they were in to buy a stack of books to give away to friends.
Seeing how seriously they took that made us feel like it was part of our ministry to make sure those books that they needed were there. We decided we weren’t going to limit ourselves to just being a store that demanded people come to our door. We felt that, wherever we were, that’s where the store was, so we would go out and be involved in the community in all kinds of different ways—concerts, radio and TV.

You made an impact quickly—how?

There was a successful regional chain, but we decided to focus on a particular niche that they weren’t as up-to-date on as they could have been, and that was Christian music. In the mid-’80s it was an exploding area.

As a strategy, we created two loss leaders to get people in the door, Amy Grant’s Unguarded and Petra’s Beat the System. Word got out, and we had tons of people coming in, so it didn’t take long before we became very known as a music store. Ministries would pull in from all over the country on tour buses, stopping at our store and buying accompaniment tracks—we stocked 5,000.

Were you able to share some of your ideas with others?

At that point in time, the Gospel Music Association (GMA) was starting to look into how to get more retailers involved in expanding their sales with Christian music. They decided to have a store representative on their advisory board, and I served a three-year term. That was a great experience. We were a Parable store, and I was also asked to be on their music selection committees.
So, I’d find myself in Nashville two or three times a year, and we’d get to hear the artists, hear their hearts and the music well before most stores would, and that really helped us be a better store.

How did you connect with your fellow retailers?

We got together with a group of other people in our region that also operated stores. We were far enough from each other geographically so that we weren’t competing for each other’s customers. We would go visit each other’s stores every quarter, and we’d go through and evaluate how the layout was and make recommendations to one another on how we might do things differently. That was invaluable; people were generally doing a good job, but little things can make all the difference in the world.

You came into the industry in its boom years?

Yes, I can recall going to CBA’s summer show, and there’d be 14,000 to 15,000 people. We couldn’t anticipate how things would change so drastically. … Christian sales centered on the independent Christian bookstore. Target or Wal-Mart were hardly around.

What do you think about the changes since then?

It’s certainly gotten more challenging, with so many other options for buying Christian products. I remember people coming to me and saying their church was thinking of opening a bookstore right down the street. I’d be thinking, “What am I doing wrong?” but I came to realize it had nothing to do with that. Their people needed resources, and they weren’t shopping at Christian bookstores.

At first I took great offense, but now I see it’s really part of God’s master plan, of how He’s going to fulfill His Great Commission. I firmly believe even though it’s challenging for independent stores to have to deal with all these different places that are now competing more, the Lord is not going to lead them into that business unless He provides a way for them to succeed. 

What’s the biggest single change you have seen?

Probably the availability of product—and that is not a bad thing. Most people say that only one in 10 regular churchgoers shops in a Christian retail store. Well, I still want to see those others fed, whether that’s through Wal-Mart or Books-A-Million or a church store.

What hasn’t changed?

We still have passion. We still have people that really believe they can really make a difference—and there are some incredible stores out there.

Of course, there has been a lot of discouragement in recent years, but I would have to say, going back to the International Christian Retail Show in July, I felt as if the industry had turned a corner. … There’s been a great purging. Some have closed their doors—and, frankly, needed to. But I feel that there’s a new kind of a thing that’s happening. It’s hard to even quantify it, but it’s the sense that, by gosh, we have been through challenging times, but we’re going to make it. 

Is passion alone going to be enough?

Clearly we need to see more professionalism and business acumen than maybe there was in the past, in some places—and we are seeing a lot of that. Less than 10 years ago, I remember seeing numbers like only 33% of the stores were computerized, for instance. Now there’s not too many stores out there that are doing their inventory by book cards anymore. And there are all sorts of other tools to help them run things tighter and closer, and that’s all good.

Does the industry have the leadership it needs?

I think it exists, but it is fragmented in so many different directions. Someone described it as like herding cats. I think at some point before too long God is going to make it clear to everybody that we can’t be wildcats, that we need each other, and the sooner that we learn that we’re all better working together, the better we will be.

Right now, I think we’ve got an industry where we all have got to get on our knees and pray. There needs to come the day when the industry is willing to come back together and work for the common good.

What is Christian Retailing’s role?

I think to be a champion. A reporter. A helper. And through all of those things, an encourager. There’s been so much bad news recently, that it’s been hard for anybody to feel very encouraged. Obviously you have to report the news, good or bad, but hopefully in a manner that helps everybody find their way more clearly.

I have loved Christian Retailing since I first had my store.

What plans do you have as publisher?

I haven’t walked in with a specific agenda. I think it’s a new day for all of us in the industry, and we want to be more open than ever before to find ways to help lead the process along. 

How has The Gathering grown from a church bookstore event to a broader industry event?

We started a program a few years ago specifically to help church bookstores, but we realized that it seemed odd somehow to have an event with great training and resources, and tell some stores that they couldn’t come. 

We had more and more nonchurch stores saying they would like to attend, so we felt like it was kind of a call of God to open it up to any store that needs help. That’s just an extension of who we already are.

External appearance: Large red letters outlined in white above broad brick storefront.

Window display: To the left, two brown teddy bears leaned against both sides of a single Digital Praise dance pad box. In the window were a neon “open” sign and a blue Webkinz poster and shelftalker. Two signs read, “free Wi-Fi” and “Internet Café.” Windows to the right listed store hours, and had logos for credit cards and Seattle’s Best Coffee, which was sold inside.

Entrance: One door was marked “entrance” and another “exit,” in large letters. A VeggieTales poster was on each door.

On the glass windows in the airlock were 12 posters, including one dated for the VeggieTales release five months earlier, plus current Christian events.

Layout and inventory: Straight ahead, “40-70% off clearance books” next to a table with Kerusso sale products. To the right, a T-shirt rounder with a yellow clearance sign above the rack. Clearance tees were on wood hangers. A white board showed the schedule for evening church small groups and book discussion groups.

An inviting seating area was next, followed by large units of used books, grouped by fiction and nonfiction. In the right back corner, there was a roomy cafe with two round tables with four chairs and four round tables each with two chairs. Behind the counter was a dorm-size refrigerator and Bunn coffee maker. Food and beverage prices listed on the wall included small, prepackaged biscotti for 50 cents, appropriate pricing for college students. Three individual serving size fruit cups looked lonely as the only offering in an acrylic display case.

At store back, a large sign read “to restroom,” and there was an almost-empty, very large VeggieTales floor display. Around the corner were five robes on a Murphy rack followed by church supplies and Christian education materials. The back of the Christian ed display was a blackboard that served as an activity point for the adjacent children’s area.

The children’s area, with a nice play kitchen, had Noah’s ark figures and construction blocks scattered all over.

A large stage was located next to the Digital Praise dance pad on the floor. This was adjacent to the myMEDIA BurnBar, which was, according to the store’s Web site, the only one in the county. Music and videos included some titles for general viewing, like The Polar Express.

Cards and gifts were at store left in the front, with product usually nicely displayed on the top shelves. Bottom shelves on each kiosk or table were empty. Books, Bibles and Bible covers were at store center. Throughout the store, as in this section, books were shown face-front. There was a large checkout area near store center.

Appearance: Extremely spacious, but with empty shelves or half-stocked displays.

Staff: One man at the front register. Although we walked right past him, we were not greeted. During our visit, one customer went to him for help. He left the register to assist, but the product was not in stock.

Verdict: My companion loved the wide-open feeling and the comfortable seating options, but to me, inventory looked like it was spread out to make the store appear more fully stocked.

Move tween titles nearer the teen section. Consider using music posters as backdrops for the stage.

If this were your regular store? I would need more frontlist titles.

Would a non-Christian feel comfortable here? Yes. The peaceful atmosphere created by the maroon walls and multiple seating options made the store feel like a large library reading room.

What will you remember of your visit a week from now? With the free Wi-Fi, cafe and digital music download technology, this store—which opened in May 2007—attempts to meet the needs of college students and local churches. But like the Web site, which includes pages with directions to “insert product here,” the store has only just begun.

THE STORE OWNER RESPONDS: Citing “tough times,” the store closed in late summer.

A steady category is boosted by high-tech trends

With new titles released in fall and early winter, the start of the new year is a peak time for sales of devotionals as many readers resolve to spend more time in the Scriptures. But publishers of this perennial, steady-selling category are now adopting contemporary formats, with some, such as e-books or MP3, even becoming common.

“Some of our most successful electronic initiatives include our devotionals,” said Jon Farrar, acquisitions director for nonfiction and software at Tyndale House Publishers, which has experimented with the book The One Year Devotions for Men (2001) by including a CD-ROM of its electronic edition at the back of the book. The title has undergone nine printings for a total of 100,000 copies. “It resulted in more sales for the printed devotional, and that devotional became one of our best-selling electronic books.”

Tyndale is now publishing the majority of its “One Year” devotionals in a format suitable for iPods, cell phones and e-book readers.

Amazon.com’s Kindle wireless reading device has spurred a sales race not only with new releases but also with backlist titles. In August, the Kindle edition of 52 Fun Family Devotions: Exploring and Discovering God’s Word by Mike and Amy Nappa reached No. 2 on Amazon’s inspirational chart, though Augsburg Books (Augsburg Fortress) published the book in 1994.

E-formats, rather than taking over the book kingdom, at least in the devotional category, may be expanding readership. Phyllis Tickle, author of The Great Emergence: How Christianity Is Changing and Why (Baker Books/Baker Publishing Group), noted in a recent interview with multimedia publisher David Crumm at www.ReadtheSpirit.com that “prayer books will always be in print form. Basically, devotional material tends to be something you want to clutch and touch and that feels friendly.”

FORMATS UPDATED

Classic devotional writers—including Oswald Chambers, A.J. Russell and A.W. Tozer—remain in demand. Some classics “have been updated and formatted for the 21st century, but they still have staying power,” said Steve Bond, editorial director for Holman Bible Publishers, a division of B&H Publishing Group.

Westminster John Knox Press will release in January Daily Devotions With William Barclay ($19.95), a collection of Barclay’s insights on the New Testament arranged in a year’s worth of readings.

Corrie ten Boom’s writings still influence millions, and a new Zondervan product recently debuted 40 never-before-published devotions. The Holocaust survivor wrote the meditations in I Stand at the Door and Knock ($14.99, August) for broadcast on Trans World Radio in the late ’60s and early ’70s.

Consumers are also seeing page-a-day formats and even shorter one-minute readings proliferating to appeal to those who want to integrate Bible reading into their already overscheduled agendas, Bond said.

Dana Niesluchowski, project manager for Livingstone Corp.—which produces and markets Bibles, books and curriculum, working with clients such as Howard Books, Tyndale House Publishers and Thomas Nelson—oversees the preparation of devotionals and specialty Bibles.

“Consumers are definitely looking for something short, something that can be read during breakfast,” she said. “Time is always the issue. People want to read, but there are so many demands already. Devotionals need to be practical, life-related and tied (to) Scripture.”

Each of Barbour Publishing’s “One Minute Meditations” journals ($14.97 each) is promoted as “an on-the-go devotional journal … with timeless spiritual insights in one minute flat.” The compilation books range from Frances J. Roberts’ Come Away My Beloved and Chambers’ My Utmost for His Highest to the lighter God Is in the Small Stuff from Bruce & Stan’s “Small Stuff” series.

B&H Publishing Group, which has a line of “One Minute Bibles” for niche groups, is this year producing the One Minute Bible Day by Day: A Year of Readings ($14.99, B&H Books, Jan. 1) and iStand: A One Minute Bible for Students ($17.99, Holman Bible Publishers, October), designed for high school and college students. The iStand Bible provides readings from every book of the Bible in the Holman Christian Standard Bible translation and has several features to prompt students to make God-honoring choices in life situations.

Rapid reads from Bible teacher Beth Moore have been created from several of her books, including When Godly People Do Ungodly Things and Praying God’s Word. The resulting devotionals titled “A Quick Word With Beth Moore” ($9.99, B&H Books/B&H Publishing Group, March) capture in small nuggets her insights from the original works.

Tyndale estimates that more than 4 million “One Year” devotionals have been sold since the brand originated 21 years ago, but new presentations and variations still keep readers engaged. One related, innovative product is the The One Year Yellow Ribbon Devotional by Carol McGlothlin and Brenda Pace ($14.99, October), wives of military officers who aim to inspire others to pray for the country and the armed forces.

Retailers can take advantage of free One Year Bible display units from Tyndale, which Jeff Smith, the company’s Bible marketing director, said produced “tremendous results for one national account last year.”

Livingstone’s Niesluchowski, who has worked on various one-year products, said she believes that one-year books and Bibles are popular because “they appeal to two felt needs—the desire to read through the entire Bible and a Bible-reading or devotional plan.”

TACKLING ILLITERACY

The ebbing level of biblical literacy—knowledge of what the Bible actually says—has spurred more people to find a daily reading book that feeds the spirit.

“People don’t know the Bible, but they know they should know more,” Farrar said. “Devotionals generally break the Bible into manageable pieces that can be read in a short time and provide something to carry them into their day.”

And—in a rather sideways manner—digital formats are actually helping combat such illiteracy.

“Obviously people don’t know the Bible as much as they did in the past,” Farrar said. “Primarily that’s because our culture provides so many enticing alternatives, from television to iPods to surfing the Internet to checking the latest news on smart phones.”

MARKETING TRENDS

Many devotionals, such as Max Lucado’s Grace for the Moment: Morning & Evening Edition ($19.99, Thomas Nelson, September) or Rebecca St. James’ Pure: A 90-Day Devotional for the Mind, Body & Spirit ($13.99, FaithWords, September), have their inception in a well-known author or best-selling book.

B&H Publishing Group’s Bond asserts that the “popular author” aspect of the devotional category has strong appeal because of the visibility of the writers, whether authors, speakers or recording artists. “Beth Moore, Kay Arthur and Max Lucado are authors of some of the best-selling devotional books today,” he said.

Best-selling author and marriage therapist Gary Chapman’s Love as a Way of Life Devotional ($13.99, WaterBrook Press, October) features 90 readings from his book by the same name.

Joel Osteen has seen great success with his Daily Readings From Your Best Life Now (FaithWords, 2005). Adapting yet another of his best-sellers, Free Press recently released his Daily Readings From Become a Better You ($22, October).

Tying a devotional to a general-release movie has been successful for B&H Publishing Group. Imprint B&H Books released The Love Dare by Alex and Stephen Kendrick ($14.99) Sept. 26, the same day the movie Fireproof made its debut.

The movie’s plot about a couple on the verge of divorce introduces The Love Dare as the hopeful resolution to their conflict. The 40-day guided devotional experience, which the publisher describes as a book that will “lead your heart back to truly loving your spouse,” shot to No. 1 on the New York Times Paperback Advice list soon after its release.

SELLING SEQUELS

Banking on past performance of similar products, Group Publishing and Standard Publishing aim to capture return buyers of specialty products.

For Group, the Tickled Pink Prayer Devotion ($5.99, July) is a new sibling to its well-received Chocolate Boutique Prayer Devotion.

“Women loved it,” said Group Executive Editor Amy Nappa of the 2006 chocolate-related product. “We were trying to help women experience time with God in a fresh and creative way, and that’s where the idea started.”

Rather than a book, the small Tickled Pink box might be classified as a gift. In the package of a devotional card, scriptures and five pink, tickle-inducing items—a spinning top, fan, feather, clay and an umbrella—women will discover “a brief, guided-devotion experience that breaks out of the normal routine of ‘read a verse, read an inspirational thought, read a prayer,’ ” Nappa said.

Standard’s youth mission journals—Anticipate, Experience and Reflect—were successful enough last year that the company decided to retool the concept for an older audience.

The company’s three new adult mission journals—Called, Challenged and Changed—include first-hand mission experiences for inspiration, a scriptural meditation and space for journaling and sketching. The journals released in November, retailing for $9.99 each.

A FAMILY AFFAIR

Devotional products for kids, tweens and teens, as well as for families to use together, are appearing with continuing frequency. Parents say they want to help their children grow spiritually and are relying on such books as support and resources for their offspring’s faith training.

“We have strong demand for kids’ and teen devotionals, so parents are looking for tools that help them create a habit of daily reading in their kids,” Tyndale’s Farrar said. “It seems parents are looking for devotional content that is clearly age-appropriate.”

Family-oriented products are also in demand, said B&H’s Bond, though the scarcity of titles is related more to the difficulty of discerning exactly what parents want.

“Family-oriented Bibles and support materials may be guilty of always trying to hit everyone at every level in all situations, and end up completely missing the target,” Livingstone’s Niesluchowski said.

For men in the family, author Douglas Bond issues a challenge with Fathers & Sons: Hold Fast in a Broken World, his second volume of readings about culture, spiritual depth and leadership from P&R Publishing ($14.99, October). 

Meanwhile, Nancy Guthrie combines dinnertime with devotions in the One Year of Dinner Table Devotions (and Discussion Starters), an October release from Tyndale House retailing for $14.99.

Parents can direct bedtime devotions for preschool and early elementary children with Sweet Dreams Princess and Goodnight Warrior, both by Sheila Walsh ($16.99 each, Thomas Nelson, October).

Melody Carlson’s True: A Teen Devotional ($11.99, Revell/Baker Publishing Group, October) is the first in a series, aiming to focus teen girls on the words of Christ in 90 readings.

SALES OUTLOOK

At Christian Supply in Kent, Wash., devotionals sell well throughout the year. The store’s top sellers include the Chambers classic My Utmost for His Highest, Jesus Calling by missionary Sarah Young and titles by Beth Moore and Dennis Rainey.

“When customers come in and they’re looking for something but don’t find exactly what they want, a devotional often seems to work,” said Destry Creek, store manager. “Generally, devotionals make a good side-sell as a gift, too.”

Gary Weyel, formerly marketing communications strategist for The Parable Group, encourages frontliners to suggest devotionals, particularly value-priced titles, as an add-on when selling a Bible. Employees should learn the “talking points” (from publisher reps or catalogs) of a couple of titles among men’s, women’s and teen categories to be able to offer specific suggestions. And “mix it up,” Weyel said, cross-merchandising devotionals with Bibles for adults and with music for youth.

Tyndale’s Farrar is optimistic about the continued sales of devotional works.

“My prediction is daily devotional reading will see a resurgence in the next decade because electronic media—whether it’s an iPhone, cell phone, e-mail, RSS feed or iTunes subscriptions—are perfect tools for helping people create a habit of daily reading,” he said. “And, as interest in the habit of daily devotional reading increases, sales of the printed book will increase as well, as people generally become more aware of both the habit and the breadth of devotionals available.” 

Christian Retailing magazine covers the latest industry news and Christian retail-focused features. The magazine includes respected editorial content on critical issues affecting the Christian retail industry, supplemented by advertising that specifically targets Christian retail store owners and buyers.

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