Christian Retailing

GENI: Join me at an event not to be missed Print Email
Written by Staff   
Tuesday, 22 February 2011 02:45 PM America/New_York

A message from Geni Hulsey, president of the Church Bookstore Network:

It is that time of year again—when church bookstore managers and workers from across the country come together for fellowship, education and spiritual renewal.

This year, after a winter of ice, snow and various other weather nastiness for many of us, it is going to be really good to spend a few days in sunny Orlando, Florida—the city for this year’s get-together for church and other bookstores, this year called Retailing ReBoot 2011. We will meet April 26-28 at the lovely Florida Hotel and Conference Center.

Retailing ReBoot will be a unique, redesigned event that will address the issues you are dealing with today and that will impact how you do ministry and business tomorrow. It is something you will not want to miss. There will be wonderful times of education, sharing and fellowship. There will also be an exhibit floor with vendors where you can visit, learn and place orders.

Some of the special moments that we always enjoy when we come together are the times of joint praise & worship along with the personal times of prayer and meditation. This year will be no exception as we pray with and for each other.

Every year after our event, I get thank-you e-mails and notes telling me how much this time together with other church bookstore professionals has meant to the writer. And always there is the comment, “I will see you next year. This is the one event I don’t want to miss.”

So put the date on your calendar, make your airline reservations, buy some sunscreen and plan to meet with us in Orlando. Be sure to watch for more details in the Christian Retailing Update e-newsletter and at the Web site www.christianretailing.com.

Now, confession time ... for several years now I have chosen a notebook each year that I use to collect miscellaneous names, phone numbers, notes from conversations and other scribblings that are important. It brings together what before was written on individual sticky notes that decorated the edges of my computer and any other vacant spot I could find in my office.

Then a secretary in our building showed me her collection of notebooks and how she could refer back to them and I decided that was a far better method. Sadly, on one of my recent flights I got my current notebook out to review some notes and left it behind when I disembarked. The airline was not much interested in my lost notebook.

That is why you may not have received a return call from me or something I was going to send. I decided it was better to confess my mistake rather than have you think I ignored or forgot you. If you are one of those people, please feel free to e-mail me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

They say confession is good for the soul—and I feel better already. The item that is at the top of my replacement notebook is “plans for Retailing ReBoot.” Now let me see: airline tickets, hotel reservations, oh,yes—and “the notebook.”

 
RETAILING REBOOT: Renamed and refocused Print Email
Written by Staff   
Tuesday, 22 February 2011 02:42 PM America/New_York

The annual event for church and independent Christian bookstore managers and staff hosted by Christian Retailing and The Church Bookstore magazines is getting a new focus and a new name.

Formerly known as The Gathering, the three-day program of inspiration, training and business will become Retailing ReBoot, April 26-28.

To be held at the Florida Hotel and Convention Center, Orlando, the conference theme will be “Engaging Without Limits,” looking at how retailers can connect more closely with God, with their customers and with their suppliers.

The event will feature workshops and discussions, an exhibition floor, an author's reception and the announcement of the winners of Christian Retailing's 2011 Retailers Choice Awards.

“We all know that consumers have multiple options for purchasing Christian products these days, but with all the developments in digital publishing, it is more pressing than ever that stores look at what they need to do to remain relevant,” said Dave Condiff, Christian Retailing and The Church Bookstore publisher.

“It's imperative that they engage more closely with their suppliers and learn more how to serve their customers where they, the customers, are,” he said. “We want to provide a place where we can learn from each other some ways to do that—and from a foundation that is our trust in God to lead and guide us.”

Condiff said that the new name for the event was intended to capture the importance of updating retail practices. In addition, though The Gathering had been open to independent and other Christian retail stores for the past couple of years, since it had begun as The Gathering of Church Bookstores in 2005, some people still thought it was only for church-based retailers.

“Everyone involved in Christian retailing in its different forms is being impacted right now, and we want to learn from and encourage each other,” he said.

Click here for more details of Retailing ReBoot 2011. https://www.christianretailing.com/index.php/features/tradeshows-/262-retailing-reboot-2011/22712-retailing-reboot-2011

 
RETAILING REBOOT: Why you need to be there Print Email
Written by Staff   
Tuesday, 22 February 2011 02:36 PM America/New_York

Previous attendees of The Gathering say:

A must meeting: “It is the only meeting in my travel budget. Although there are other places and venues to see and purchase product, I choose this meeting because it has both the gift vendors as well as the publishers that are willing to cater to my store and other church-owned bookstores. It is also a place to meet and share with others who are struggling with the same challenges and opportunities I face on a daily basis. I make it a point to share with vendors that if they want to show me their new product and solidify our relationship, this is where I will be. I look forward to this meeting all year long.”

 

Dennis Woods, manager

 Water’s Edge Resource Center

Sugar Creek Baptist Church

Sugar Land, Texas

 

Renewed energy: “It is simply the highlight of my business year. I've always come back with renewed energy to approach our ministry/business with fresh eyes. The connections that I've made with fellow retailers and vendors has been invaluable to the success of our store.”

Susan Chipman

Director of retail services

Granger Community Church

Granger, Ind.

 

Shared passion: “When we get together and talk about what is going on in each others' bookstores, you find out that most stores are having the same issues you do and you get encouragement to go back and face your challenges and even go back and try new ideas that someone else has done. When you leave you feel energized and you have made new friends that you can contact throughout the upcoming year. You will always learn something new and find new product to place in your store. And it's always great to see the friends you have made in the past.”

Dottie Poythress

Media center director

Johnson Ferry Baptist Church

Marietta, Ga.

 

Unique experience: “For a bookstore manager, the unique combination of fellowship, fresh ideas and spiritual encouragement that I receive is an exceptional experience that is not duplicated anywhere else. The relationships that are formed there create a support system that I rely on throughout the year. I look forward to attending in the spring, and encourage other bookstore partners to do so as well.”

Janet McKinley

Manager

The Bookstore at First Baptist Church of Atlanta

Atlanta

 

Valuable insights: “It is a great way to share ideas and challenges with others who share our passion for ministry. I've made new friends and gained much valuable insight from these events over the years and look forward to these times of refreshing and renewal.”

Dan Ray

Manager

The Source Christian Bookstore

Pleasant Valley Baptist Church

Liberty, Mo.

 

Growth time: “It is an awesome occasion to connect with other church bookstores in a very accessible atmosphere. It's a chance for learning and a way to get fresh perspectives and new ideas. The exhibit floor provides opportunities to see a lot of product under one roof and build relationships with vendors.

The wonderful fellowship, inspiring speakers and uplifting worship bring the added bonus of a time of renewal for anyone who attends. Coming to this event has been an important part of my growth and development as a church bookstore manager.”

Heidi Macias

Manager

Books of Hope

Community of Hope Church

Rosemont, Minn.

 
INSIGHTS: Recruiting, training and rewarding volunteers Print Email
Written by Staff   
Tuesday, 22 February 2011 02:29 PM America/New_York

by Luane Bastianelli

Recruiting: Usually, we have a wait list for people to volunteer. We bring people in when we get potential volunteers. We call them, screen them, see what their availability is. They will go onto a sub list, or we will try to move them into some type of support position through the week.

From there, if a volunteer has a weekend that they cannot work, they can contact these (new) people and have them come in and work for them. And then we invite them to join our team on a regular basis. Over our five campuses we have over a hundred volunteers.

Training: We do several different things. When they first come we do orientation with them ... it’s kind of like a scavenger hunt. I have a number of questions, items that they need to look up, things that they need to research within the store. They take a clipboard and kind of roam around the store and try to find the answers to all of these questions.

Some of the questions involve interacting with other people on the staff. I like to have my seasoned volunteers help to train the regular volunteers because the one thing that is always a challenge with volunteers is a lot of times they don’t feel confident. They work a couple times a month, and it can take a long time to say they have actually been with us a month.

It’s very encouraging to them to see, "Wow, I do know more than I thought." So, I usually pair them up after orientation with somebody on the team. We’ll take them through the basics on the computer and they’ll be side-by-side with somebody that’s been with us for awhile.

Motivation: We just love on them, we appreciate them. We make sure we think of them for birthdays and their anniversaries with us, and when they have babies and sick people in their families, loved ones that have passed away. We try to treat them like family and like we like to be treated. Doing that and, too, making sure that the time that they spend with us is well-spent.

I don’t think anyone wants to come in on a Sunday, stand around and feel like, “What am I here for?”. We also do a lot of training with them. We use a lot of different models, like with Zondervan's Bible study. A lot of the vendors now are offering customer service training, where you can learn about the product and in doing so you earn either an item from their stock or maybe a credit for items to purchase.

—Luane Bastianelli was manager of The Resource Center at Kensington Community Church in Troy, Mich. 

 
PICTURE OF THE WEEK: Big on Bibles Print Email
Written by Staff   
Tuesday, 22 February 2011 02:23 PM America/New_York

Bibles are naturally a cornerstone of most church stores, but there is an opportunity to bring heightened awareness to the category this year, with the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible and the release of the updated New International Version. Make sure that the space and display style given to the Bible recognizes its foundational place in your store—as here at The Bethlehem Bookstore at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, Minn. 

 
ADVICE: Dear Betty Print Email
Written by Staff   
Tuesday, 22 February 2011 02:21 PM America/New_York

I am going to need to cut spending in my store. Where do I begin?

Cutting spending is not as easy as it seems. First, you have to know one very important fact—where are you exactly spending your money? Take a broad look at your overall financial situation. Hopefully, you have a budget and a posting system where you can see where your monies are being invested.

Recently, we took time in our store to look at where our dollars were going. We found waste on some rather interesting items. After identifying these areas, we discussed ways to either eliminate these expenditures or cut the amount of money we allocated to these items.

Of course, the main objective of research should be returns. A weekly check on books that can be returned is vital to keeping cash flow. One rule we try to abide by is that before we buy, we double-check what we can return.

Another positive that comes from returning product is to see what you are buying that is not selling consistently. For example, if you have been buying fiction books in quantities of four, but are regularly only selling two, then reduce the number the next buying cycle. Fine-tuning your buying is the best way to reduce spending.

Got a question for Betty Bookstore? Write to her at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

 
CULTURE WATCH: Supporting 'Christian business' Print Email
Written by Staff   
Tuesday, 22 February 2011 02:18 PM America/New_York

Adding a fish symbol to an advertisement for a business is more likely to help than harm, according to a study by the Barna Group.

While most people surveyed (51%) said that they would be indifferent to a particular brand if they knew the company ran according to Christian principles, 43% said that they would be receptive to doing business with the firm, and only 3% indicated they would be less likely to do so because of the faith link.

“In other words, a product or service managed according to Christian principles generated a positive-to-negative ratio of 14 to 1,” the researchers concluded.

When asked if they would be more likely or less likely to buy a particular brand if they knew it was from a company that embraces and promotes the Christian faith, 37% said more so and 3% again responded less so. The favorable-to-unfavorable ratio this time: 12 to 1.

Consumers in the Midwest and South were found to be most likely to express interest in both Christian business connections. In the West and Northeast, only one-third of customers expressed a preference for a Christian-operated business

Other demographic segments favoring businesses incorporating Christian elements were women, Boomers (ages 46 to 64), Elders (ages 65-plus), married adults, parents of children under age 18, political conservatives and Republicans. College grads were slightly less interested than average in Christian companies, though income was not a defining factor for or against

Young adults (ages 45 and younger, but especially those under the age of 25) were among the least interested in Christian-oriented brands. Active participants in Protestant churches were among the most attracted, with two out of three interested in products and services that promote Christianity.

Commented David Kinnaman, Barna president: “There appears to be a significant opportunity for enterprises that understand and value faith to express their faith consciousness through their business practices—not simply as a marketing gimmick, but as an authentic part of their content, their mix of products and services, their branding and their corporate culture.”

Source: Barna Group.

To read the report in full, go to http://www.barna.org/culture-articles/472-americans-christian-business.

 

 
ANSWERS OF THE WEEK: New Year and Easter focus Print Email
Written by Staff   
Tuesday, 22 February 2011 02:14 PM America/New_York

We asked: What plans do you have for the coming year and the Easter season?

We decided to be much more church-driven. Books that support what we are doing and “going.” Gifts from our mission areas, fair trade gifts … price points that work for the economy. Services such as DVD rental and fresh flowers for birthdays and funerals. That is what we are doing in our remodeled area in 2011.

Julie Swecker

Manager

Daily Bread Books

Hosanna Lutheran Church

Lakeville, Minn.

 

 There are not a lot of music CDs that deal with Easter, however, Discovery House Music has just produced one in time for Easter 2011. Classical Praise Easter includes songs that are favorites such as "Christ Arose/Christ the Lord Is Risen Today," "There Is a Redeemer," "He Is Lord," "He Lives,” "Because He Lives," plus many more. Call 800-613-2035 to order.

Lois Veenstra
Music manager
Discovery House Music
Grand Rapids, Mich.

 
QUESTION OF THE WEEK: Unattended children Print Email
Written by Staff   
Tuesday, 22 February 2011 02:12 PM America/New_York

What do you do when parents leave their children to wander unattended through the store while they chat with friends nearby?

Share your experiences and ideas with others. Write to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

 
SCRIPTURE OF THE WEEK Print Email
Written by Staff   
Tuesday, 22 February 2011 02:10 PM America/New_York

“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”

Eph. 4:29, New International Version