Retailers on the whys and hows of being a VBS resource center

CHRISTIAN RETAILING: How have VBS sales been for you this year?

THOMAS:  Believe it or not, this year we've done better than we have the last three years. It's kind of unusual. I guess churches were using it as an opportunity to reach out to folks even though their coffers may have not been as full as they needed to be. We were up a 40% increase from last year, which is not bad.

FLANDERS: Last year was our biggest year ever. We were up 51%. This year we fell off by 15%. ... I think a lot of that was just people looking around. We offer about five different VBS programs and these folks can make their own decision, but sometimes after they bought from us year after year, they might venture out. ... 

But overall this is the second-best year the store has ever had on VBS. I give a lot of that credit to the lady that actually handles it. She is excellent at identifying and personally knowing every customer that comes through the door—the pastors, the key person that's involved in the youth programs, the Sunday school superintendent, whoever it might be, and she personally invites every single one of them to attend our VBS program, where we invite all the vendors. 

BRODERICK: Our sales this year are down by at least a third or more. I suppose that it is a real indicator as to the Florida economy, which has been on a real down since August of 2006. But one of the things that we have noticed is that there is evidence that many of our churches have actually canceled their VBS this summer, and they were attributing that to costs or they have come up with clever ways of doing things on their own.

Every year we've had a workshop and an open house where we have everybody come in and they can touch and feel, make their choices. Even though those seem to be reasonably successful, many of the people did not necessarily buy from us. If they used any of that product, they went direct. There is evidence that we've got some of our local churches that are going direct, especially for the ancillary product, which is not good news, but it's a fact of life. 

 CHRISTIAN RETAILING: Have you others found churches going direct to suppliers too?

THOMAS: Yes. There are a couple of the bigger churches here in town. Actually they go to direct instead of coming through us. I tried to bridge that gap, but they still do it the same way they have been doing it.

FLANDERS:  Serving big churches is very difficult right now. ... Serving rural churches is where I think the opportunity is. 

What we have found that we have done to combat losing these folks to the Internet or whatever, is if you come and attend our VBS workshop, you get 10% off your initial order. We do that in February, and all we ask them to do to make sure they get that 10% is when they pick it up and we bill that church, we want it paid in 30 days. 

That gives me a little money to operate on and it kind of (helps to) grease the wheels all the way around. 

BRODERICK:  We do almost the same thing when we have a workshop. The initial order that they place at the attended workshop will have 10% discount on it. And we tell them that the discount will go on for any of the extra products that they order.

CHRISTIAN RETAILING: How many churches do you deal with for VBS?

THOMAS: Generally I deal with about 30-40 churches each VBS year.

FLANDERS: We run around 58-60 at the workshop, and then we are also mailing a church supply catalog and we are sending that to about 550 churches. 

BRODERICK: As far as VBS is concerned, the (number) of churches utilizing us is 15-20, but that's down a third from previous years. But as far as total churches, we serve probably 122 churches.

CHRISTIAN RETAILING: Do you still see your stores as an important link in the chain for VBS products?

BRODERICK: We believe we should be the source for the resources for the churches. We believe if a church wants a local Christian bookstore in their community, they really need to support that local Christian bookstore. It seems that support is waning because of the convenience of going direct.

FLANDERS: The only thing I know we've successfully done to help us combat the Internet sales is we try to stock every single thing that a vendor carries, and I try to have it in ample supply. 

We typically have five vendors that we represent each year—and they do change, by the way, depending on how things go the previous year. When the customer learns, "Oh, I can go and find it and pick it up right then and go back home, and it's two weeks till my VBS," they will take advantage of that. 

The other thing is returns. If they have to mail it back, ship it and don't get any credit at all, as in the case of one of our vendors, I believe, then that makes us look better, too, because we will accept returns.

THOMAS: Same way with Ken. I try to stock everything that they have in a decent supply. I was a little light this year because I was a little hesitant, so I did a few more special orders than usual. I don't know if that helped or hurt, but numbers-wise it was good. 

CHRISTIAN RETAILING: So why is selling VBS still important for your stores? 

FLANDERS:  It's a big chunk of our business financially, but of course, we would like to think we are making a difference in our communities and the place where they live, for kids to find the Lord that don't get the leadership at home or they may not have the opportunity any other way except through VBS. It's just a big part of what we do financially and through ministry. 

BRODERICK: We feel it's a big part of our presence in the community and ministry in the community. It has not been a big financial item for us. ... However, I believe it's a necessary item. I think churches will continue to do some form of VBS. They have dwindled down on some of the purchasing of the extra items. Some of the churches have become rather creative and make their own crafts. They will go to the dollar store and buy craft materials to make their own crafts, and I can understand that. They are being cautious as far as their budgets are concerned.

CHRISTIAN RETAILING: How have you changed selling VBS?

THOMAS: We continue to change the location where it's visible in the store. ... I do have customers in January asking me when it's going to be in. Some of my churches are ahead of the game. I see it as an outreach with the churches as long as our relationship is good with that church. We have to make the effort to step out and make sure all their needs are covered as far as we can handle it. It's an opportunity to meet and greet a lot of people through that one contact because that one contact says most of the time, "Well, I got the product at the Shepherd's Fold, and if you need something extra, go see Marty." I'll have teachers come in throughout their week of VBS looking for gifts and things like that, and some of them have never been in the store before.

 CHRISTIAN RETAILING: So it is a way to develop new business, new relationships?

FLANDERS: To some degree, yes. Unfortunately in our industry we are losing some of our sister stores that are not too far away from us. We have picked up a little business as a result of those stores not being available any longer for people to shop. That's helped a little bit, too, or contributed to it.

BRODERICK: I haven't specifically seen VBS as an avenue to new customers. The majority of the time it's the same people. Just like the churches, it's the same people doing the VBS for them almost every year. 

But, yes, there is always somebody who might be new coming in as a result of it. Anytime that you have a connection with something like VBS with the church, small or large, some new people are going to be showing that have never shown up before. 

CHRISTIAN RETAILING: What have you learned that can help other stores sell VBS materials?

FLANDERS: They need relationships with the churches. I noticed that the attendance at workshops is diminishing, and some of the reasons we have been told when we asked why they didn't come this year, they said, "Well, actually I researched everything online. I looked this up on, I looked that up online." (But) some of those who researched online still bought from us. ... I really think it's a relationship thing. I think it's important on all ends, not just VBS.

THOMAS: You often have to put a face with the store and make those personal contacts. That's very important. Because oftentimes that mailing will go in the garbage unless you have made a personal connection to an assistant, a secretary, the pastor, the person involved in VBS. You really have to make it personable.

FLANDERS: And it's key to maintain a mailing list to individuals, real people. It's nice to send it to First Baptist Church, but you need to send it to a person or persons preferably, because usually they like to come in pairs and teams or whatever the case may be. So you have to really work to maintain the mailing list of who is active now in each individual church that needs to get that piece of information.

CHRISTIAN RETAILING: Do you ever see your store doing away with VBS?

BRODERICK: No, I don't think so. It's up to the vendors.

THOMAS:  Yes, it's up to the churches, too. If they stop doing it, we won't carry it. ... I would consider dropping it, but I also may back off of what I have in stock and have some of the kits and do special orders for folks. There are going to be churches that will do VBS—who knows, maybe until Jesus comes back.

FLANDERS: As long as there is a demand, we are going to try to meet it. We will continue to stock it. There is a point where you can't afford to do that, but right now that's not the case. 

CHRISTIAN RETAILING: Any other VBS thoughts or insights you would like to pass along?

FLANDERS: In every case, we invite a professional to come and make the presentation on behalf of that vendor. ... No one else can do it as well as the person who knows why that VBS was written and what the targets are and the goals, and they can put that stuff out on the table and then they can get all excited about the crafts and the other stuff, too. We have found that when we don't have a professional promoting for that company, I might not sell a kit. 

BRODERICK: I would agree with that. When they are there, obviously it's a much better workshop, and people get excited about it. 

FLANDERS: From my perspective, it's just something else that goes hand in hand with providing for the needs of the church and church people. I don't know that it's the doorway, but it's certainly a big part of the complete package.

BRODERICK: Anytime that you've got a connection with the church, it's going to help feed year-round business, and so if you're able to serve the church with VBS or anything else, it's an open door to business down the road. 

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