Winners have been announced in the 2013 Christian Retailing’s Best awards sponsored by Christian Retailing magazine, with DaySpring as the top gift winner. Kerusso, Thomas Nelson, Carpentree, Lighthouse Christian Products were the other winners in the gift categories.

New York Times best-selling author Jonathan Cahn (The Harbinger, FrontLine/Charisma House) presented the awards June 25 at the International Christian Retail Show in St. Louis. Tammy Trent offered a song from her upcoming Sunny Days release (September Days Records/Infinity Music Distribution).

Abbey Press will be hosting a Grand Opening in its new permanent showroom in Atlanta’s AmericasMart. The wholesale marketer will have show specials, refreshments and drawings for free products Tuesday and Wednesday, July 9-10.

Leasing space in Building 2, showroom 1340, from Divinity Boutique, Abbey will be open for business in time for the July International Gift & Home Furnishings Market. With its inspirational giftware, kitchenware, books, greeting cards, stationery and wrapping paper, Abbey has exhibited in the Temporaries at AmericasMart for more than 20 years.

Winners of the Christian Retailing’s Best awards—formerly known as the Retailers Choice Awards—will be presented at the International Christian Retail Show in St. Louis on Tuesday, June 25. Hosted by New York Times best-selling author Jonathan Cahn (The Harbinger, FrontLine), the awards will also feature an appearance by recording artist Tammy Trent, whose new album, Sunny Days (September Day Records/Infinity Music Distribution), releases in August.

DaySpring and Thomas Nelson have tied with three gift finalists each in the 2013 Christian Retailing’s Best awards sponsored by Christian Retailing magazine. DaySpring’s three finalists are the Love Came Down teapot (General Gift Product); Love Came Down dinner plate (Seasonal/Holiday); and Wooden Cross (Wall Décor). Thomas Nelson’s gift finalists are Grace Happens Here by Max Lucado (Gift Books); Inspired You by Marian Parsons (Gift Books); and The Hope of Christmas by Jack Countryman (Seasonal/Holiday).

HarperCollins Christian Publishing (HCCP), the parent company of Zondervan and Thomas Nelson, announced today the formation of Zondervan Gift Books. The new division will place "a strong focus" on inspirational gift books, devotionals and journals, company officials said.

"I'm very excited to take this step," said HCCP Senior Vice President and Group Publisher David Moberg. "Our team has a big vision for the Zondervan Gift Books and we are creating some exceptional products to launch this new line."

The International Christian Retail Show (ICRS) will once again emphasize Fair Trade June 23-26 at the America's Center Convention Complex in St. Louis.

A special exhibit adjacent to Town Center in the exhibition hall, the Fair Trade in Action area will highlight fair-trade and missional-product companies. The exhibit will help "tell the story behind the product," said CBA officials, noting that the area will be "promoted as cause marketing that aligns with Christian stores' purpose and mission."

Monkeez Makes a Difference, the educational charitable program for children from MVP Brands, recently presented a third round of donations of nearly $15,000 to Samaritan’s Purse, Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation and Best Friends Animal Society.

Donations are awarded to the three charities each quarter based on the choices children make when they select a charity to receive 10% of the wholesale cost of each product purchased. The first-of-its-kind program teaches kids the importance of philanthropy. With the support of families and independent retailers, Monkeez Makes a Difference has donated a total of more than $82,000 to the three charities since October 2012.

Cathedral Art Metal created an original line of bracelets to meet the needs of the Boston Marathon and Oklahoma tornado victims.

Based in Providence, R.I., the family-run company has a natural affinity to Boston, and has raised nearly $40,000 for The One Fund Boston, the official fund-raising agency, with the new bracelets.