Zondervan has ended its direct-order service to many small, independent retail accounts and told the stores to get its books from distributors instead.

Effective Jan. 1, the move is intended to cut supply-chain costs for the publisher and booksellers alike, helping retailers better use their resources to offer a broad inventory that differentiates them from general market competitors, said Zondervan's Executive Vice President of Sales Verne Kenney.

In a letter announcing the move, Kenney told accounts the publisher believed “you can benefit from working with a single source supplier and ultimately improve the health of your business. …

“While the margins may be different than your current structure, we believe the efficiencies with this transition will aid faster inventory turns for your business and will result in better return on your inventory investment.”

Read a full report on this issue in the Feb. 12 issue of Christian Retailing.