DVDs are a growing category for many stores, though quality concerns are an issue

In the wake of a major spotlight for DVDs at this year’s International Christian Retail Show (ICRS), our latest Vital Signs industry survey looks at what stores are thinking and doing about this growth category.

DVDs offering wholesome entertainment can help Christian stores establish a competitive difference, according to the vast majority of respondents. Three-in-four retailers said that they saw DVDs as a way of setting their stores apart, while an even greater number (81%) believed that customers will “go out of their way” to purchase “wholesome entertainment” they can’t find elsewhere.

LOOKING AHEAD

There was concern, however, that the draw may be short-lived, as 83% predicted that  secular retail will “skim off high-margin sales,” as has been the case with popular Christian books and music products.

Growth will come in the feature-film segment, according to 23% of retailers, while 40% predicted a decline in consumer demand for music and concert DVDs, as well as a drop in the sales of teaching/preaching programs.

PRODUCT MIX

Feature films and children’s programming make up the majority of titles carried in most stores, although we found the mix to be different in church stores compared to for-profit outlets. A typical commercially run store carried four feature film titles for every three children’s DVDs, while the average church store was heavier in children’s titles.

Many stores (52%) reported carrying more than 60 different titles, and a handful said that they offered far more than that. The greatest number of titles carried by one store in our survey was 592, with nearly half (47%) being full-length feature films.

Overall, the majority of feature-length adult DVDs carried by Christian stores were in the faith-based category (52%) where the plot and outcomes are “decidedly Christian.”

CONSUMER HELP

The majority of retailers weren’t yet familiar with the new rating system for DVDs proposed by CBA and The Dove Foundation, when we asked them about it in June. Many who had heard of the concept, debuted at ICRS, offered guarded support. Among the comments were:

“Customers who are extremely picky and unthoughtful will get a little more info on whether to watch. ... The con is that it’s just going to be more confusing, and thoughtful customers will think more poorly of the industry.”

“It [will] clearly communicate to the customer what type of DVD they are buying. Especially as the main CBA distributors of DVDs begin carrying more family-friendly-only titles, my customers need to know if a movie is faith-based or just family-friendly—or they complain to me about it ‘not being a Christian movie.’ ”

SELECTION

Only 11% of stores told us that they provided a DVD rental service, with stores affiliated with churches typically more likely to have a library on campus that would rent to parishioners.

There was something of a gap between the content consumers told us they were looking to buy and that which retailers said they were willing to carry.

A strong majority of retailers (76%) told us they believed that consumers would purchase “B” quality film projects as long as there was “a strong Christian plot and outcomes.” However, only 57% of consumers said they were likely to buy lower-caliber films solely for their content.

There was support among 53% of retailers for an accessory that strips out offensive portions of movies, but only one in three consumers say they would be interested in buying one.

DVD DISCUSSION

With staff or industry colleagues, talk about the following:

Is the DVD section in your store an intentional destination or a profitable impulse sale?

Are there affinity groups in your community that would respond favorably to a special promotion around DVDs, such as a Christian-school or parent-teacher group?

Do you actively promote DVD sales with monitors playing new releases?

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..