A strong gift market is providing a second chance for one retail store to start over with a new model, leaving behind other categories in order to focus solely on gifts.

As the Christopher Matthew's bookstore in Bel Air, Md., continues the "Going Out of Business" sale that began last month, Bryan Brock, store manager, has announced plans for a new, smaller store.

Scheduled to open next month in its new location, Christopher Matthew's will focus on gifts and cards, choosing not to stock books or Bibles, although employees will offer special-ordering for customers with a discount.

Brock told Inspirational Gift Trends Bulletin that two main reasons led to the change-a smaller store with a lower lease price and a higher margin offered by gifts.

"2007 was our best sales year since we have been open," he said. "Of course, 2008 saw a drop-especially in the fourth quarter. However, our gift sales remained the same and have actually increased in 2009."

Brock also said that the growing emergence of digital books and music, along with competition from big-box stores, increased the appeal of only carrying gifts.

"The online book and music competition is fierce, and now we have publishers creating product specifically for big-box stores," he said. "So, we have taken ourselves off the book and music playing field and moved to a field where we are the only game in town-Christian gifts and cards for all occasions."

Brock believes Americans are turning away from bookstores as the primary place to buy books, adding that "bookstores can't survive by stocking a large amount of titles just waiting for the person who buys one or two books a year to come in."

"We are trying to get ahead of the curve and try a new model," he said. "It may totally fail, but at least we are giving it a shot."

Brock said initial response to the store's intentions from longtime customers has been positive.