Comments on: Death of Christian Bookstores

By: Mary Ellen

Mary Ellen — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 18:39:42 +0000

I have worked at a “Mom & Pop” Christian store and am now at a “corporately-owned” Christian store. The owners of the M&P ordered in what they wanted and what their customers wanted. They were responsible for paying for the goods if they weren’t bought. They couldn’t match the prices Wal-mart set. Our frugal customers went to the best prices of Wal-Mart as well as directly to the product’s website. Said M&P went out of business.
The corporate store has a home office that determines what we carry. Best sellers in books, gifts, and music come in regularly and can be returned if not sold.
If our numbers are down from last year, they will cut our hours or move our store to a busier neighborhood (which is what is happening right now).
While I agree with the “Jesus Junk” comment, I hope you will consider the advantages to having a Christian book/gift store nearby. We carry best-sellers and can also get back list of popular/classic authors and musicians. We can order needed items without charging for shipping.
Some customers, bless ‘em, come in looking for “Jesus Junk” specifically for gifts. Anything with angels sells quite well. We do have a strong theology/Christian living section, but sell the purpose-driven/best life stuff, too. The Christian fiction section is my favorite. Authors like Ted Dekker, Robert Liparullo, Tom Morrissey, Angela Hunt, and Francine Rivers are writing wonderful mysteries that are anything but fluff!

By: Max Elliot Anderson

Max Elliot Anderson — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 14:35:11 +0000

To me, the most interesting development has been the formation of church bookstores. Since mom and pop stores of all kinds have vanished, we shouldn’t be surprised to see it happen in Christian bookstores too.

I grew up in the 16MM film production and distribution ministry through Ken Anderson Films, and Quadrus Films. I watched the same thing happen to our local 16MM film rental distributors, as video took over the market.

There’s nothing new under the sun.

By: Sue Dent

Sue Dent — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 13:05:51 +0000

Christian bookstores, until 1950, merely provided Sunday School material, Bibles and other spiritual tools for their core market of conservative evangelicals. In 1950 the Christian Booksellers Association formed and promised to provide them with a brand of fiction their core readers wouldn’t be offended by. The fiction already out there in the general market by wonderful Christian authors just couldn’t be counted on NOT to offend this very conservative market. The only books you’ll find in Christian bookstores primarily are supplied by those authors affiliated with the Christian Booksellers Association, an association you have to pay to belong to. CBA and the later formed ECPA (Evangelical Christian Publishers Association) are counted on to provide unoffensive Christian fiction for Christian Bookstores conservative market. As a Christian writing for the general market, I find it very unsettling that I can’t assert my Faith because it will surely mark me as belonging to a market I don’t write for specifically. Christian Bookstores do provide a safe haven. But only for a very specific group of Christians. Too many times my work has been called secular (by CBA publishers) because I don’t write for this very specific, very conservative Christian market. As a Christian, I’d love to offer support and suggestions on how to keep CBA Christian bookstores alive because I have sooooo many CBA readers. But until my book sells enough to get CBA’s attention, I’ll have to struggle to get it in one. And I’m an author who is a Christian. :)

By: amkelly

amkelly — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 21:38:03 +0000

It is quite sad that Barnes and Noble has a bigger selection of theological books than my local Lifeway Christian Store. All Lifeway seems to care about is VeggieTales and Steven Curtis Chapman. I guess Charles Spurgeon just doesnâ€™t make them as much cash as they want. If I ever find a good Christian bookstore around here, I think I will shop there even when the prices are higher than Amazon just to help them stay in business.

By: Kristi

Kristi — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 16:16:15 +0000

Your bookstore sound interesting. Most of the Christian Bookstores I’ve been in are of the Gift Shoppe variety. I think you have the answer, the stores that sell things that you can buy anywhere are going out. The stores that offer customer service and staff knowledge are going to stick around.

PS – You’re so right about that quote! BANNED is my hope!