Geni Hulsey, president of the Church Bookstore Network, and former manager of The Garden Bookstore at Houston's First Baptist Church

Terri Williams, manager of the bookstore at Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas

Martha Brangenberg, manager of Charis Bookstore at First Baptist Church of Indian Rocks in Largo, Fla.

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Type: Independent

Region: Northwest

Location: At a strategic intersection, by a suburban downtown area and a main traffic artery

Appearance:

Inventory:

Staff:

External appearance: Though the corner spot on a major thoroughfare is a prime location, the store's lackluster look made a dull first impression. A roofline reader board advertised a new book title.

There’s no question that Christian retailers need, more than ever, to be on top of their financial game these days. But it’s important that they don’t concentrate so much on one set of books that they forget the others.

At the end of the day, great accounting will only help them keep their doors open. It won’t remind them why they are working so hard to do so, or allow them to maximize opportunities for low- and no-cost promotions.

A Christian Retailing industry survey

Changes in the national and world economies are ushering in what cultural observers refer to as a “re-setting” of consumer attitudes and behaviors.

Rather than being just temporary adjustments evidenced after major events, such as following 9/11, futurists say these shifts are the dawning of a new era of business built on new realities and different perspectives.

Our latest Vital Signs surveys looks at how some of these new factors are affecting Christian retail:

CONSUMER CHANGES

Shoppers at Christian stores this Easter season were more likely than last year to purchase only items that were on sale (62%), while two-thirds of retailers said they saw more evidence of price comparison shopping this year.

Credit card use was up in 42% of the stores compared to last Easter, and just over one-quarter of the stores (28%) saw an increase in the use of coupons. Meanwhile, consumers responding to our survey reported a 46% increase in personal coupon use, indicating perhaps a need for the Christian products industry to look more closely at coupon offers.

Sales of books to help with financial challenges were up in 27% of stores, as were Bible sales (35% of stores reporting higher sales) and special orders (28%). Meanwhile, nearly one in three stores (28%) said they had seen drops in the number of people buying gifts for others and in the sale of products focused on helping people live healthier lives.

The category with the most significant decline was inspirational art, with 65% saying that customer demand was less this Easter than last.

BUSINESS BASICS

Christian retailers are paying more attention than ever to the business side of their operation. Four out of five (81%) are working harder this year to reduce expenses, and three-quarters (77%) are looking more closely at inventory control.

Greater effort is being applied in six of eight key operational areas, including product selection, price competition and customer relations.

The only areas not posting increased attention are church relationships, where 48% are sticking with last year’s level of focus, and employee training, where 60% are doing the same as in 2008 and 5% are doing less.

ECONOMIC EXPECTATIONS

Industry members were more hopeful about their economic futures than they had been on New Year’s Day and in mid-February. In our latest poll, in mid-April, 48% of suppliers said they were more hopeful about the economy, compared to 37% who felt the same in February.

Retailers were not as upbeat, with 38% acknowledging higher hopes in April. However, fewer of them were less hopeful than they had been in previous months. In mid-April only 19% said they were less hopeful, compared to 26% in February.

QUESTIONS

The objective of our Vital Signs project is to act as a catalyst for meaningful dialogue. As you consider the new business models needed in the wake of the economic “re-setting,” use these questions as a starting point:

How could the Christian retail industry answer consumer desire for more coupons?

What might be the result of shoppers wanting more sale-priced items?

Are you doing more, or less, to build relations with local churches? Why?

Jim Seybert is an author and consultant living in Arroyo Grande, Calif. He can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

MORE COMMENTS: Hear more from those who took part in our survey. Read individual comments online at: www.christianretailing.com/index.php/retail-focus/vital-signs.

WHAT DO YOU THINK? ...of the findings and comments? Write to Vital Signs at: Christian Retailing, 600 Rinehart Road, Lake Mary, FL 32746, or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Graph information courtesy The Jim Seybert Co. This Vital Signs survey was conducted online in April 2009 among readers of Christian Retailing’s Christian Retailing Update news service. Of 323 respondents, 178 were retailers. Vital Signs is a joint project of Christian Retailing and Jim Seybert, who are solely responsible for its content.

A reformed shoplifter’s personal guide to loss prevention

My palms were sweaty, my heart was racing, and my conscience was already killing me. But, tantalized by the potential spoils of shoplifting, I was ready to take the plunge.

The Christian retailer seemed an easy mark, and a new collection of Christian rock was sure to impress my youth group, who were unaware of my escapades.

And so, with a few quick casual moves, I relieved a Christian bookstore of a cache of products and slipped out the exit. It’s hard to believe that I wasn’t caught, while stuffing enough merchandise under my jacket to weigh down a small horse.

My shoplifting years are long past, yet Christian retailers still face the challenge of preventing theft while making their stores as inviting as possible. Some prefer tough tactics, but I believe that a fresh customer service philosophy may actually be the most effective way to prevent shoplifting.

These suggestions could help make Christian stores a better place to shop, while sending shoplifters packing—without unpaid-for products in their pockets.

RUN THE STORE, NOT THE DOOR

When a shoplifter reaches the security gate, if there is one, it’s too late. Giving chase is a risky endeavor, even for the clerk who is a track star with biceps the size of a professional wrestler. The result may be a confrontation involving a weapon, or with a gang around the corner.

Other considerations include falls, collisions and accidents. Tackling someone may result in liability concerns.

Tip: If your store utilizes a security sensor, don’t ignore a customer who “beeps” upon entry. Savvy shoplifters use devices to buzz the alarm on the way in. That way, after packing unpaid merchandise, they walk out casually—because when the alarm sounds again, nobody bats an eye.

FIRE THE FLOOR-WALKER

Leave the suspicious behavior to criminals. Having someone pretend to shop while scanning for thieves is a ridiculous undertaking. In the movies, the fugitive criminal can always spot the federal agent. It’s no different for staff members playing the “undercover security” role. Anyone experienced at getting the “five finger discount” can pick them out.

Smaller stores: Scrap the spy games. Surveillance comes naturally during organizational and service-related activities.

WATCH THE RESTROOM

Shoplifters love bathrooms because they provide concealment for removing security devices or packaging. Unpaid merchandise is not allowed inside, but criminals don’t follow the rules.

The answer? Keep eyes and ears in the bathrooms while beautifying them. Service these areas at frequent, random intervals to prevent criminals from making use of the stall to transfer stolen items. If a suspicious shopper visits the bathroom, immediately afterward be sure to check the stall and garbage bin for packaging or security tags.

SERVE WITH SINCERITY

Innocent shoppers may understandably be offended by overly suspicious store clerks, so check your attitude. Forget the stale “Can I help you with anything?” approach. Highly thoughtful queries are more effective. Relate to people in a friendly conversational way, no matter what your suspicions are.

Don’t offer people too much unsolicited assistance. Engage, and then move along. Allow someone else to follow up. Employees should share information about suspicious activity casually, such as while stocking a shelf. If needed, re-group briefly at the front counter or staff room to avoid pointing and whispering.

FIND COMMON GROUND

If someone struts in sporting trendy gear and listening to an iPod, send a young staff member over if possible. When a couple enters with a new baby, the expectant or young mother on staff should greet them. This is called “peer matching,” and it is an excellent approach. Why? Commonality.

The more connected patrons feel, the less likely they are to consider ripping you off. Stores with few staff can still make an effort to connect. Review trade publications or Christian magazines to stay in the know, helping to bridge any gaps between you and your shoppers.

DON’T PROFILE YOUR PATRONS

Not all shoplifters are teens with baggy clothes and a bad attitude. A young mother of twins or a man who just parked his Porsche may be trying to pull a fast one. Even senior citizens have been known to help themselves.

The notion that church people never steal is a myth. Don’t watch for suspicious types. Rather, have an eye out for suspicious behavior.

REMEMBER LOVE

Treating customers as you would like to be treated will foster feelings of friendship and loyalty toward your business. Even a kleptomaniac is less comfortable stealing from a friend. Showing respect and love to people who may be out to take advantage of you is in harmony with Christ’s commandment to “ … do good to those who spitefully use or persecute you” (Luke 6:27).

Aim to provide creative services that will benefit your customers, while simplifying store security. Try approaching shoppers with a special discount coupon when the store is busy. Stores that have a coffee stand or kiosk can open dialogue with folks by offering a certificate for a complimentary treat with purchase. With a parent’s permission, a fun freebie for the kids can go a long way in making their experience in your store more memorable.

Personally, I’m grateful that God helped me to learn the lesson of honesty the easy way. I never got into trouble with the law. However, confessing my crimes to store owners was no easy task.

Today, as a Christian businessperson and family man, I still have “radar” for criminal activity, and I have helped prevent several crimes, without the use of force. Becoming more aware and prepared to deal with this issue may be a way of heeding Christ’s admonition to “be as wise as serpents, and as innocent as doves” (Matt. 10:16).

LOSS PREVENTION

Almost half of retail “shrinkage”—the total of which was nearly $35 billion in 2007—is due to theft.

The University of Florida, in conjunction with various sponsors including the National Retail Federation, reported on retail loss and its prevention in the 2007 National Retail Security Survey. The survey found that the average inventory shrinkage (shortage) rate, 1.44% of total annual sales, was down significantly from the previous year, but the dollar value of the loss, approximately $34.8 billion, continued at record levels. Inventory shrinkage encompasses loss from sources such as employee theft, shoplifting, administrative error and vendor fraud.

Retailers surveyed attributed 44% of their losses to employee theft, making it the single most significant source of shrinkage, followed by shoplifting at 34%.

High staff turnover and heavy reliance on a part-time store workforce can lead to inventory shrinkage, as “the part-time worker is less committed to the overall success of the company and is, therefore, more likely to allow shoplifting to occur and to participate in or ignore incidents of employee theft,” the study said.

Trent Halverson is a business owner and freelance writer in Saskatchewan, Canada.

How the audiobook market is changing

While many in the publishing world are talking about non-print content as though it’s a hot new concept, others are quick to point out that the field is actually long-established in one form, at least—audiobooks.

But as the direct-to-consumer digital download revolution threatens to cut stores out of the loop in the same way it has for the music industry, Christian audio suppliers caution retailers against conceding defeat too quickly.

They maintain that the category—the Audio Publishers Association (APA) reported a $1 billion-plus market overall in 2007, 12% up on the previous year—remains a strong Christian retail niche for two reasons.

First, while the personal download trend is accelerating, that pace is slower in the audiobook world according to Dan Balow, publisher at Oasis Audio. He predicts that CD sales of audiobooks will continue to be significant for at least another five to seven years, pointing to APA research for 2004 that found 30% of all audio sales were then still on cassette ... ,” a format that was supposed to die off a decade before it actually did.”

Balow’s point was echoed by Todd Hoyt, president of Christianaudio, who observed that the “CD is still king. As the primary user of audio is still a commuter listening on their car CD player, I would not discount the fact millions of consumers do visit bookstores and look for physical products on shelves they can use immediately.”

In-store burning

David Amster, president of Integra Interactive, admitted to having been “totally caught off guard by the overwhelming interest by stores to burn all audiobook titles in standard CD play.” From next month the company plans to be offering more than 500 audiobooks in three formats—CD, MP3 burned to disc and MP3 download—on its myMEDIA BurnBar digital kiosks.

That and other in-store digital options offer further opportunities for brick-and-mortar retailers once the audio CD does wane, suppliers said. Todd Niemeyer, vice president of Global CBA Sales for Zondervan, said that his company’s Symtio program—cards sold in-store that give access to digital content downloads—has “been very successful in helping retailers be a part of this transaction.”

At Thomas Nelson, Senior Vice President of Christian Retail Sales and Ministry Development Gary Davidson, noted that Symtio was “making an impact into the perception of audio product in the Christian retail market.” Earlier this year Davidson’s company launched NelsonFree, which gives purchasers of select print title editions—currently just business-related—free online access to e-book and audio versions.

At retail, audiobooks demand a good understanding of a store’s customer base, such as at Jireh’s Christian Bookstore in Placerville, Calif. Though women are typically the main shoppers at Christian stores, Jireh’s owner, Bryan Gutierrez, skews his audio fiction selections toward men—because they are his heaviest purchasers, as commuter listeners.

He also incorporates some of the APA’s recommended best practices—presenting audiobooks face-out, on three endcaps bracketing the regular print section, and offering good discounts.

Good visibility

One of the keys to good audiobook sales is visibility. Suppliers advocate moving them from their own section to the general book area. And “don’t worry about depth,” Balow added. “Stock the best of the best ... if that means the top 100 titles and that is all, then focus on that and do it well. Carry the audio edition of the best-selling books.”

If some retailers have been cautious about audiobooks because of what Hoyt acknowledged to be the “suspect quality” of some titles in the past, that is no longer a concern. Zondervan’s Inspired by ... The Bible Experience: Old Testament won the APA Audies awards last year for best Inspirational/Spiritual and Multi-Voiced Performance of 2008. The New Testament edition was overall Audiobook of the Year in 2007.

Along with Christmas, summer is typically the busier selling season for audio, as many people shop for something to listen to when they head out on road trips. But sales of the Zondervan audio Bible and Thomas Nelson’s rival Word of Promise remained strong throughout the last year. Audio editions of William P. Young’s best-selling novel The Shack and the audio novelization of the hit film Fireproof have also been doing well for Oasis.

Balow sees the gap between stores that are making a go of audio and those that are not widening. “When you see some stores giving up on the category and then others viewing it as a solid segment, you have to wonder whether a store is missing something,” he said.

For his part, Hoyt sees Christian retail “embracing audiobooks more than ever.” He attributes that to demand for products not previously available and, in part, to his company’s aggressive pricing—an additionally important aspect for a category where typical $20-plus-range purchases are under scrutiny in the current economic climate.

KEY AUDIO RELEASES

Popular novelist Ted Dekker sees Christianaudio bring Nos. 5 and 6 in his “The Lost Books” fantasy series (Thomas Nelson) to listeners, this month. Each title is read on five CDs by Tim Gregory, and retails for $22.99. In Lunatic, hero Thomas is in hiding with other members of the Forest Guard, while Elyon finds the Chosen Ones facing their greatest threat.

Josh McDowell teamed up with son Sean McDowell to revise his classic apologetic work More Than a Carpenter, which has more than 15 million copies in print. Tyndale House Publishers releases the abridged audio edition, narrated by the younger McDowell, this month, on one CD. It retails for $6.99.

FOX News legal correspondent Lis Wiehl’s first novel, Face of Betrayal (Thomas Nelson), introducing readers to the Triple Threat, a trio of women crime fighters, is narrated by Pam Turlow, whose voicework includes characters in the “Left Behind” audio series. Released last month on seven CDs by Oasis Audio, it retails for $27.99.

“Left Behind” co-author Tim LaHaye’s Jesus: Why the World Is Still Fascinated by Him (David C. Cook) looks at the enduring interest in the figure of Christ. Released next month by Oasis Audio, the book is narrated by the author on six CDs and retails for $25.99.

The audio edition of Karen Kingsbury’s Take Two, second in her “Above the Line” series for Zondervan about Christian filmmakers, will include a cast of voices. Released next month on eight CDs, it retails for $19.99.

Best-selling author Stormie Omartian narrates her own The Power of Praying for Your Adult Children, which Harvest House Publishers releases next month. On five CDs, the title retails for $18.99.

For a more detailed list of new audiobook titles, see the New Releases listing on our Web site, www.christianretailing.com.

We need to close the gap between what we sell and how we really live

Something churned inside me recently when I came across this advice to churches considering opening a bookstore: “If the area’s already well-served by a Christian retailer, the church should give prayerful consideration … to the possible impact on the Christian businessperson who owns the local store.”

I felt the stress faced by local store owners and the church leaders as they seek to be on the front line of ministry together while balancing the budget.

A competitive spirit is just one loathsome foe in the menagerie of diabolical imps you and I fight against as we—the members of the Christian retail industry—desperately seek to live the messages we hope will sell.

I know about the competitive spirit. If I’m brutally honest, I have to admit that I’ve gotten caught up in the industry as I watch my fellow best-selling authors for teen girls progress with rapt self- consciousness.

Though I love them dearly, I am in a constant battle with my flesh.

Today I blasted off a flow-of-consciousness e-mail to a list of best-selling co-laborers. “Frankly, girls … you and I teach teens to avoid being mean girls, but in my heart is always a competitive spirit,” I wrote.

“(There, I said it!) Either I am feeling like I’m ‘not enough’ because you are outselling me or I am feeling like I’m ‘all that’ because I’m at an event with teen girls squashing me to get an autograph.”

I spilled my guts.

I was overwhelmed by the outpouring of honesty that flowed into my inbox.

Vicki Courtney, winner of the 2008 Evangelical Christian Publishers Association’s Christian Book Award (Children & Youth) for Teen Virtue: Confidential (B&H Books/B&H Publishing Group), wrote back: “Even as someone who writes and speaks on this topic, I struggle with my own ‘inner mean girl’ rearing her ugly head from time to time.”

I had to ask if she ever struggled with jealousy in the industry. She was candid in her answer: “Ouch! Absolutely! God spoke truth into my heart through a friend of mine.

“She was speaking on Matthew 9:37—The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.’ She made the simple statement that there are ‘many rows to hoe in the harvest.’ And then she said, ‘Hoe your own row and quit worrying about the person in the row next to you!’ ”

I don’t know about you, but it gets hard for me to remember that whole “same team” thing when I’m worrying about making payroll for my staff. I can’t tell if I’m the valiant warrior of God who serves beside my sisters, or if I’m the fearful, territorial wimp worried about the bottom line.

I end up sometimes crying out in my spirit: “Will the real Dannah Gresh please stand up?”

Best-selling author Susie Shellenberger, former editor of Brio magazine, who is currently launching a new teen girls magazine called SUSIE Mag, admitted to the same struggle to live what she teaches.

“My greatest area of being un-Christlike is my impatience,” she told me. “I’ve called my accountability partner on the way to a speaking engagement and said: ‘I’m really angry right now, and I’m on my way to speak to teens about holiness. I need to confess this and pray through it before I get behind the microphone.’ ”

I cannot tell you how it made me feel OK to have Susie speak with such transparency. Apparently the real Dannah Gresh is the one who wants to serve God beside her sister, but often needs to call her accountability partner.

Can you identify?

Shaunti Feldhahn can. She’s sold more than 1 million copies of her books and speaks to our shared audience of teen girls through For Young Women Only (Multnomah Books).

She candidly piped in: “I don’t have to be told that ‘the human heart is deceitfully wicked’—I recognize it every day in myself in this industry! I recognize it when I find myself getting a bit jealous over the fact that someone else got that speaking engagement I would have loved, or see that someone else’s ‘competing’ book has sold a zillion more copies.

“I have to instantly and sincerely pray for blessing and favor for anyone I might have those feelings about, since I know that God will use that in their life and my heart!”

Oh, the juicy stuff that transpired in our little best-selling “inner mean girls” e-mail forum. We took time to cleanse our hearts and got things right in this little corner of the Christian retail industry.

I guess what I’m trying to say is that this whole Christian retail thing just works better if we live it better than we sell it.

For example:

As we share Dave Ramsey’s books on biblical finances, can we say with certainty that we are living above the weight of debt in our ministry finances?

When we encourage a weepy wife with a copy of The Love Dare, can we say that we’ve been protecting our own marriages?

Romans 2:21-24 admonishes us with no amount of tenderness: “You, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? …

“You who brag about the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? As it is written: ‘God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.’ ”

We have to be willing to examine our lives to see if there is any potential for hypocrisy. If there is a disconnect between what we are selling and how we are living, our best contribution to the body of Christ is sitting on the sidelines for some rest or restoration.

Leslie Ludy, who penned When God Writes Your Love Story (Multnomah Books) with her husband, Eric, weighed in on this.

When I asked if they ever struggled with living out what they write about, she replied: “A few years ago, Eric and I decided to pull away from full-time touring and speaking.

“We knew that so much speaking was causing our marriage and relationship with Christ to get a second-place focus, and we were beginning to feel the results of burnout.

“It was hard to walk away, but it established a very important principle—if the Truth is not first real in our own lives, we have no business teaching it to someone else.”

If you ask me, that’s living out the message.

Now that you’ve read these confessions of best-selling inner mean girls gone mild, let me ask you something with an extra dose of tenderness:

What does your corner of the industry look like?