How Christian publishers are embracing environmental concerns in their operations

Dwight Baker, president of the Grand Rapids, Mich.-based Christian publisher that bears his family name, is happy to talk about things like “post-consumer waste” and “ground wood stock.” He’s wanted to for years, and has. It’s just that, until more recently, people haven’t always wanted to listen.

But Baker, who says conservation interests have always been part of his “DNA” —his Baker Publishing Group (BPG) now publishes all of its nonfiction books on 30% post-consumer waste paper—is thrilled to be getting support from an unlikely source: Wal-Mart.

For years, Baker was a mostly solitary voice in the evangelical wilderness, calling on other Christian publishers to not only publish books on environmental issues, as his company has done for many years, but to also think about their own environmental choices—like the paper used to produce their books and the source of that paper.

But it took the buyers at Wal-Mart and their recent insistence that publishers use paper made from trees harvested in “sustainable forests”—younger-growth forests where trees are responsibly harvested and replaced—to really get publishers’ attention, Baker said.

“Wal-Mart is now saying: ‘This matters, we’re not joking, you have to work your way all the way back to the forest and make sure you have sustainable materials.’ Wal-Mart did in a few meetings what I couldn’t do with all the time in the universe,” Baker said.

While sustainable forestry and recycled paper are two different things, they “get at the same problem,” which is responsible stewardship of resources, Baker said.

ECO-FRIENDLY PAPER

The paper business—and by extension, book publishing—would seem to be a frustrating place for an environmentally conscious person like Baker. First of all, there are all of those trees cut down for books alone: 30 million per year just to make the books sold in the U.S. Some of those trees are harvested from old-growth forests—an example of “unsustainable forestry,” irreplaceable havens of ecological diversity that trap carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that most believe contributes to global warming.

Add to that the fact that even in these eco-conscious times, with marketers clamoring to make environmentally friendly claims about everything from cars to cleaning products, that many publishers don’t even print books on recycled paper and publishers might be Captain Planet’s arch-nemesis. Recycled paper requires 30-40% less energy and conserves 2,000-3,200 pounds of carbon dioxide for each ton of virgin fiber it replaces.

But publishers—including Christian ones—have started to adopt more eco-friendly practices in recent times, some out of a sense of moral obligation, others due to more basic impulses such as cost savings or consumer demand. For most, it’s a mixture of reasons, including prodding from retailers like Wal-Mart.

That means eco-friendly publishing is not just a topic for lifelong conservationists like Baker, but is rather one being discussed by broader audiences such as the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA).

In November 2008 its three-day “Pub U” event in Chicago included several sessions that touched on environmental issues, including one by Jeff Mendelsohn, president of New Leaf Paper in San Francisco.

Mendelsohn has been at the vanguard of the eco-friendly paper movement, selling recycled paper and promoting sustainable forestry practices since graduating from Cornell in the early ‘90s and starting New York Recycled Paper, which eventually was renamed New Leaf Paper.

“Starting a green company was a great way to make a difference in the world; engaging the world through socially responsible business,” Mendelsohn said. “And I chose paper because it’s one of the most polluting industries in the world, and one of the slowest to change.”

When he started his business in 1991, Mendelsohn said the paper industry “was cutting down endangered forests all over North America” and “using an incredibly low percentage of recycled content.”

At the time, most paper companies were also using environmentally hazardous bleaching chemicals made from chlorine compounds—the third practice in Mendelsohn’s unholy trinity of bad eco-behavior.

Today, Mendelsohn said New Leaf Paper makes eight types of post-consumer recycled-paper stock, uses less chlorine than almost any other company in the paper industry and backs its eco-friendly claims with certification from the Forest Stewardship Council, an international organization that certifies and supports sustainable forestry practices.

While New Leaf Paper has carved a niche for itself in the paper market—and Baker laments that recycled paper is still a niche, which is why it usually costs 4% to 6% more to purchase than non-recycled paper due to economies of scale—the company got a big break in 2003.

That was when Raincoast Books, a Canadian publisher with rights to the “Harry Potter” series in Canada, published Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix on EcoBook 100—a 100% post-consumer recycled-paper stock, completely chlorine free, that New Leaf introduced in 2001.

EcoBook 100 was the first book-caliber grade paper made from 100% post-consumer waste, and the fact that it was being used to publish a “Harry Potter” book—and has been used in all subsequent “Harry Potter” books in Canada—was nothing short of a coup for New Leaf Paper.

EcoBook 100 paper generated more than 150 stories in the media, all of which helped raise awareness of the New Leaf brand in particular and of recycled paper in general.

Since that moment in 2003, New Leaf’s business has almost doubled, from $17 million five years ago to now more than $30 million in revenues.

RECYCLED CONTENT

While some publishing companies have opted to use recycled paper for years, one large advocacy group believes the recycled content being used is still too low.

According to Green Press Initiative (GPI)—a group with strong support from BPG and New Leaf Paper, both of whom helped GPI develop a treatise on environmentally responsible book publishing—the book industry’s collective average use of recycled fiber is 5%. That is a far cry from the 30% average that GPI’s treatise calls for by 2012, with a majority of that recycled content gathered from post-consumer waste.

The treatise also calls for a reduction in the use of chlorine dyes while encouraging the protection of endangered forests, supporting the use of non-wood fibers for paper production, reducing production impacts and a host of other goals and best practices.

But for GPI things are moving in the right direction. According to the group, more than 160 publishers representing 40% of the U.S. book market either have “strong environmental policies” or have agreed to the long-term goals set forth in GPI’s treatise.

Eleven religious publishers are among those who have signed the treatise and committed to a paper policy, GPI Executive Director Erin Johnson said.

Yet, there’s more than a little room for improvement. Johnson, citing 2006 numbers, noted that the U.S. book market uses about 1.6 million tons of paper per year, less than 15% of which is recycled paper.

Bethany Press International (BPI)—an independent printing firm spun off from Bethany House Publishers in 1997—prints about 25% of the books that show up on the ECPA best-seller list in any given month, and works with every major Christian publisher except Zondervan, according to Pete Larson, the company’s chief operating officer.

For Baker, Larson’s company— eco-conscious in its selection of materials—has made “angels” out of many Christian publishers by using 30% post-consumer waste recycled stock for all heavier nonfiction books, paper that Larson said he has been able to get a very good price on in order to keep costs down.

Larson also said that even his lower-grade paper is made of “ground wood,” which utilizes “40 to 45% less tree” than other wood pulp papers and “is lighter-weight, so it reduces shipping costs as well.” Larson said Bethany Press goes through 8 to 9 million pounds per year of ground wood and 4 million pounds of recycled paper.

Aside from using recycled materials, another way Christian publishers have reduced waste—and often saved money—has been to cut down on paper usage.

At Thomas Nelson, trade books are using 11% less paper than in past years due to lighter paper stock.

Other industry changes have been technological. In 2008, Barbour Publishing subscribed to www.netgalley.com, allowing the company to distribute advance copies of its books electronically, which eliminates mailing, printing and paper costs. The move will save the company, even after service fees, about 40% next year.

ECPA has also confirmed that it is in discussions with www.netgalley.com to provide discounted subscriptions to all members of the publishers’ association.

Other publishers—among them, Thomas Nelson and Tyndale House—are cutting costs by going digital with their sales catalogs, posting them online with the help of Edelweiss, a new service from Above the Treeline. Moody Publishers recently switched to only electronic delivery for its publicity releases to media.

Nick Ciske, a BPI “idea capitalist,” has been keeping his eye on two other intriguing developments in book publishing that could reduce the industry’s environmental impact.

The first involves shorter, more inexpensive book runs thanks to digital printing—or “print-on-demand” technology—which works similar to a computer laser-printer, with toner applied directly to the page, rather than using a more expensive traditional press the size of a school bus that uses metal plates to apply ink to the page.

While digital printing isn’t a particularly new development in the industry, its costs are steadily coming down, allowing publishers to print smaller quantities of books for less—thus eliminating unnecessary energy as well as waste from unsold books that are usually remaindered or destroyed.

“Every year we’re seeing higher and higher digital print runs becoming cost-effective,” Ciske said. “So it’s slowly creeping up. There will be a day when you can digitally print 5,000 books cheaper than you can (with a traditional plate).”

Ciske has been in the process of digitizing author content, which BPI can then turn into a book via print-on-demand technology or by way of a laser-etching process that creates a printing plate without the environmentally harmful chemicals of old—a process that’s now the norm for many presses, including Bethany.

“Those chemicals used to be used every day. … We’ve reduced the environmental impact,” Ciske said. But it’s another use for digitized content that piques Ciske’s interest: e-books.

E-BOOK HOPES

E-books would seem to be one of the more promising ways for the publishing industry to reduce its paper usage and unwitting promotion of deforestation, creating a robust segment of the industry free from wood pulp.

But is the e-book an idea whose time has come? It depends on who you talk to in the industry, but there are reasons to be optimistic.

In 2008, Oprah called the Amazon Kindle—the $359 e-book reader that allows customers to wirelessly read and download books and other publications—her “favorite new gadget.”

“I know it’s expensive in these times, but it’s not frivolous because it will pay for itself,” she said. “The books are much cheaper and you’re saving paper.”

Most e-books on Amazon.com sell for $9.99, and the Kindle was on back-order during the 2008 Christmas season.

“People are hoping this is the time it’s going to catch on and work,” Ciske said. “And Oprah hopping on Kindle certainly hasn’t hurt.”

Ciske added that previous attempts to popularize e-books failed for a number of reasons, not the least of which was that there was “never an iTunes for books.” But now that Amazon has the content and the device to make e-books work—the Kindle is now in its third generation with the advent of the Kindle DX and is receiving rave reviews—it could finally, after a decade, be the next big thing.

“If I was a (traditional) retailer, I’d definitely be searching for how I’m going to be relevant in a 24-7 content future,” Ciske said. “If retailers don’t evolve, someone’s going to innovate around them.”

Ciske said he and his colleagues had to face similarly daunting realities at Bethany Press International.

“Are we a book printer? We decided that no, we help create and distribute content,” Ciske said.

But ECPA’s information and education director, Michael Covington, while optimistic about the prospects of e-books, pointed out that it’s a small segment of publishing and that even some tech-savvy teenagers are unfamiliar with the Kindle.

“We had a panel of teenagers at Pub U … and none of them knew what a Kindle was,” Covington said. “I think digital content is going to have to be very device-neutral. I don’t think the publishing industry is willing to have a coronation for any one device.”

PAPER POLICY

Baker, the conservationist and BPG president, is skeptical about e-books in the near-term—“we’re serving a conservative constituency, not politically, but slow-to-budge”—and stressed that the growing popularity of e-books isn’t a reason for publishers to avoid taking a hard look at their paper usage and environmental policies.

He noted that “99.94% of books sold last month were not e-books,” adding, “E-books won’t save us. You still need to have a responsible paper policy.”

For Baker, that means not only printing all of his company’s nonfiction books on 30% post-consumer waste recycled paper, but also using recycled paper in the office.

Covington said many Christian publishers at Pub U were talking about other steps to lessen their environmental impact, but always with a mind to lowering costs.

“When going green creates the need for additional investment, that’s the big rub,” Covington said.

“Many publishers are doing things like setting copy machines to automatically print on both sides of the paper, cutting back on energy consumption by turning off half the lights, and offering employees flex-days, where they can work from home,” he added.

Yet bigger initiatives were also discussed at Pub U, which might indicate that Christian publishers, while wary of spending money in these economically challenging times, are interested on lessoning their environmental impact in this day of thinking green.

“One of the comments that came out was that publishers need to have a multi-year plan in terms of what their goals are to be a better environmental steward,” Covington said. “They approached it as much from a theological sense as they did a business sense.”

How the audiobook market is changing

While many in the publishing world are talking about non-print content as though it’s a hot new concept, others are quick to point out that the field is actually long-established in one form, at least—audiobooks.

But as the direct-to-consumer digital download revolution threatens to cut stores out of the loop in the same way it has for the music industry, Christian audio suppliers caution retailers against conceding defeat too quickly.

They maintain that the category—the Audio Publishers Association (APA) reported a $1 billion-plus market overall in 2007, 12% up on the previous year—remains a strong Christian retail niche for two reasons.

First, while the personal download trend is accelerating, that pace is slower in the audiobook world according to Dan Balow, publisher at Oasis Audio. He predicts that CD sales of audiobooks will continue to be significant for at least another five to seven years, pointing to APA research for 2004 that found 30% of all audio sales were then still on cassette ... ,” a format that was supposed to die off a decade before it actually did.”

Balow’s point was echoed by Todd Hoyt, president of Christianaudio, who observed that the “CD is still king. As the primary user of audio is still a commuter listening on their car CD player, I would not discount the fact millions of consumers do visit bookstores and look for physical products on shelves they can use immediately.”

In-store burning

David Amster, president of Integra Interactive, admitted to having been “totally caught off guard by the overwhelming interest by stores to burn all audiobook titles in standard CD play.” From next month the company plans to be offering more than 500 audiobooks in three formats—CD, MP3 burned to disc and MP3 download—on its myMEDIA BurnBar digital kiosks.

That and other in-store digital options offer further opportunities for brick-and-mortar retailers once the audio CD does wane, suppliers said. Todd Niemeyer, vice president of Global CBA Sales for Zondervan, said that his company’s Symtio program—cards sold in-store that give access to digital content downloads—has “been very successful in helping retailers be a part of this transaction.”

At Thomas Nelson, Senior Vice President of Christian Retail Sales and Ministry Development Gary Davidson, noted that Symtio was “making an impact into the perception of audio product in the Christian retail market.” Earlier this year Davidson’s company launched NelsonFree, which gives purchasers of select print title editions—currently just business-related—free online access to e-book and audio versions.

At retail, audiobooks demand a good understanding of a store’s customer base, such as at Jireh’s Christian Bookstore in Placerville, Calif. Though women are typically the main shoppers at Christian stores, Jireh’s owner, Bryan Gutierrez, skews his audio fiction selections toward men—because they are his heaviest purchasers, as commuter listeners.

He also incorporates some of the APA’s recommended best practices—presenting audiobooks face-out, on three endcaps bracketing the regular print section, and offering good discounts.

Good visibility

One of the keys to good audiobook sales is visibility. Suppliers advocate moving them from their own section to the general book area. And “don’t worry about depth,” Balow added. “Stock the best of the best ... if that means the top 100 titles and that is all, then focus on that and do it well. Carry the audio edition of the best-selling books.”

If some retailers have been cautious about audiobooks because of what Hoyt acknowledged to be the “suspect quality” of some titles in the past, that is no longer a concern. Zondervan’s Inspired by ... The Bible Experience: Old Testament won the APA Audies awards last year for best Inspirational/Spiritual and Multi-Voiced Performance of 2008. The New Testament edition was overall Audiobook of the Year in 2007.

Along with Christmas, summer is typically the busier selling season for audio, as many people shop for something to listen to when they head out on road trips. But sales of the Zondervan audio Bible and Thomas Nelson’s rival Word of Promise remained strong throughout the last year. Audio editions of William P. Young’s best-selling novel The Shack and the audio novelization of the hit film Fireproof have also been doing well for Oasis.

Balow sees the gap between stores that are making a go of audio and those that are not widening. “When you see some stores giving up on the category and then others viewing it as a solid segment, you have to wonder whether a store is missing something,” he said.

For his part, Hoyt sees Christian retail “embracing audiobooks more than ever.” He attributes that to demand for products not previously available and, in part, to his company’s aggressive pricing—an additionally important aspect for a category where typical $20-plus-range purchases are under scrutiny in the current economic climate.

KEY AUDIO RELEASES

Popular novelist Ted Dekker sees Christianaudio bring Nos. 5 and 6 in his “The Lost Books” fantasy series (Thomas Nelson) to listeners, this month. Each title is read on five CDs by Tim Gregory, and retails for $22.99. In Lunatic, hero Thomas is in hiding with other members of the Forest Guard, while Elyon finds the Chosen Ones facing their greatest threat.

Josh McDowell teamed up with son Sean McDowell to revise his classic apologetic work More Than a Carpenter, which has more than 15 million copies in print. Tyndale House Publishers releases the abridged audio edition, narrated by the younger McDowell, this month, on one CD. It retails for $6.99.

FOX News legal correspondent Lis Wiehl’s first novel, Face of Betrayal (Thomas Nelson), introducing readers to the Triple Threat, a trio of women crime fighters, is narrated by Pam Turlow, whose voicework includes characters in the “Left Behind” audio series. Released last month on seven CDs by Oasis Audio, it retails for $27.99.

“Left Behind” co-author Tim LaHaye’s Jesus: Why the World Is Still Fascinated by Him (David C. Cook) looks at the enduring interest in the figure of Christ. Released next month by Oasis Audio, the book is narrated by the author on six CDs and retails for $25.99.

The audio edition of Karen Kingsbury’s Take Two, second in her “Above the Line” series for Zondervan about Christian filmmakers, will include a cast of voices. Released next month on eight CDs, it retails for $19.99.

Best-selling author Stormie Omartian narrates her own The Power of Praying for Your Adult Children, which Harvest House Publishers releases next month. On five CDs, the title retails for $18.99.

For a more detailed list of new audiobook titles, see the New Releases listing on our Web site, www.christianretailing.com.

What it takes to build a successful music department

While some predict that the CD is only five years from extinction, strangely, music is more popular than ever. As such, the category can still be a vital part of a Christian store.

After all, despite the fact that sales are tending downward, about 80% of Christian music is still sold in the physical format. Retailer Randy Ross, among others, also points out that while digital music sales and music theft have cut into the all-time high retail profits seen during the early half of this decade, abandoning music makes no more sense than abandoning children’s books or any other category that makes up a similar percentage of store sales.

“At our (stores), we’re still averaging more (revenue) in music than children’s books; in most of our stores, music and Bibles are neck and neck,” said Ross, a music inventory specialist for Parable, a chain of nearly 200 Christian stores. “With that same logic, we need to stop selling cards, children’s books and take a hard look at our Bibles.”

Though overall music sales have never been higher, thanks to digital, traditional Christian retail music sales declined about 1 million units, from approximately 12.4 million units in 2007 to 11.4 million units in 2008.

Christian album sales overall—physical and digital combined—were also down 9.7%, from 35.9 million in 2007 to 32.4 million in 2008.

While cautioning retailers, music leaders like Word Distribution President Mark Funderburg remain optimistic.

“We finally found the enemy, and it’s us. If we’re not careful we’re going to kill an industry that consumers still want,” he said. “I can’t tell you the number of times I talk to customers and they say, ‘We want to buy this, but we can’t find it.’ ”

Ross of Parable added: “The amount of space you dedicate needs to be in accordance with your sales, but people have had a knee-jerk reaction to music. It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. You’re not paying attention to music and your sales are declining? Surprise.”

So if music is an important part of a store’s product mix, how should stores go about merchandising, promoting and selling it in a rapidly shifting music landscape?

Inventory

First of all, experts say, look at the albums ordered and their quantities, as best-practice inventory strategies have shifted. Funderburg, along with other experts, advocates stocking a broad selection of albums, but with fewer quantities, especially of backlist.

“You can re-order every other day if you need to,” Funderburg said. “But as for breadth, there are few stores left anymore that carry a good selection of anything, and I think that’s really hurt retailers who have slimmed their inventories to get it down to the top 20. A lot of customers want selection like on Amazon. Offer the breadth and then make sure to let customers know that that’s a strength of yours.”

Jim Ellis, who has overseen the music section at Lighthouse Christian Books in Green Bay, Wis., for nearly two decades, agrees. Lighthouse is renowned for its music selection, which includes rare and used albums. “We buy appropriately,” Ellis said. “Whereas I used to buy a case of 30 CDs of a particular album, it’s now usually down to two, three or six.”

Of course, there are exceptions to that rule—a Casting Crowns or Michael W. Smith album, for instance—and this is where industry and product knowledge are important. Funderburg suggests stores stay in close contact with music sales reps and listen to their advice, while others note the importance of keeping up with print or online publications that cover Christian music.

Mike Hockett, CBA training and consulting manager, recommends turning to CROSS:SCAN, a CBA reporting system that tracks sales of more than 800 Christian stores and works in concert with Above the Treeline, a digital inventory management system for retailers.

“CROSS:SCAN probably has the top 1,000-plus music titles on there, and you can see how they rank when you use it with Above the Treeline,” he said. “You can see how it compares with your store’s inventory. You also get to see what’s selling across the country. There might be stuff selling elsewhere that you don’t know about.”

Chains such as Family Christian Stores and LifeWay and some independent stores—including Pee Dee Christian Book & Supply in Florence, S.C.—are maximizing inventory with digital availability. For example, the Pee Dee store, which makes use of CD-burning capabilities, has more than 11,000 CD titles available, including older selections and some out-of-print albums.

Some stores sell music online as well.LifeWay’s PassAlong is a system that allows customers to save up to 10% each time music is purchased with points. Points are earned when the customer passes on a recommendation and a friend or family member buys the item.

Cross-promotion

Some retailers are combining CDs with closely related products, such as DVDs, into a “family entertainment” section. Taking a cue from stores like Best Buy, the DVDs are helping offset the smaller margins and decreasing sales of music CDs.

“Many parents and families are looking for wholesome entertainment, both audio and video, and many times need help,” noted Curtis Riskey, CBA’s strategic solutions executive. “It would make sense to cross-merchandise music in areas that customers would be prompted to purchase as a gift or to complement a larger gift.”

Citing a 2007 industry-wide report on music buying patterns, Sound Decisions, Riskey noted that more than half of Christian customers—58%—bought music as a gift.

Ellis noted that successful independent music stores sell ancillary products like artist apparel, and his store has started to sell music posters and found some success doing so. Yet some caution that stores can go overboard with DVDs and ancillary music products despite their promise.

“Stores are scaling back on the amount of music in the retail space, but it can’t get to the point where you’re burying it,” Ross of Parable said. “If you’re expanding your video department, look at your sales … the amount of space you dedicate needs to be in accordance with your sales.”

In-store marketing

Once a store has the right music product mix, how does that store promote music both inside—and outside—of the store? Many stores not only give music its own section, but also cross-promote it on endcaps, in the book section where appropriate and at the cash wrap. Ellis, for one, has found success selling some lower-priced CDs at the cash wrap as an add-on or impulse buy, though he noted that grouping lower-priced albums together in a kiosk in the music section rarely seems to work well.

Some experts say that another effective in-store promotion, and a way to emphasize a store’s commitment to music, is to have a digital kiosk that burns CDs—with two major companies providing systems to the Christian retail market: Integra Interactive and Just In Time Digital. Though most people aren’t using the systems to burn new albums, some retailers are doing a brisk business on the kiosks by selling accompaniment tracks to churches and soloists.

Paul LaRue, president of Just In Time Digital, said his company’s Quest isMOD kiosk is seeing “a significant increase in accompaniment track sales. The key is availability. … 50% of what we sell through the Quest isMOD would otherwise be completely ‘out of print.’

“One of the big reasons for the increase is when an individual purchases an accompaniment track, they continue to browse through and inevitably find other titles that they’d like to add to their order.”

Overall, Integra Interactive, which places the myMEDIA BurnBar in stores, has found that the long-held idea that 20% of the titles create 80% of music sales needs to be reconsidered.

“Integra’s sales analysis of the nearly 13,000 full albums and nearly 36,000 a la carte songs sold through myMEDIA BurnBar turns the 80/20 rule on its head,” said David Amster, Integra president. “The top 10% of all the titles sold represents only 37% of the total dollar volume. The bottom 90% represents 67% of the total sales. The vast majority of the album titles in this ‘long tail’ are not stocked by the stores and are sales they would not have made.”

In the case of Lighthouse Christian Books, which has a digital kiosk, Ellis said: “We’re not burning a whole lot of music on it other than accompaniment CDs, though the other thing it’s being used for is for people who are putting together their own greatest hits CDs.”

External marketing

Hockett, who consults with more than a dozen stores per year, said not enough retailers are forming partnerships with Christian radio stations—something he believes can drive traffic and move CDs.

“Over half of our Christian music buyers, 57%, listen to Christian radio every day, and 83% listen every week, so if you can match that audience up with your core customer, it’s going to help you,” Hockett said.

He also added that too infrequently stores fail to alert customers of channel-specific product—something with which Christian radio can help.

“We have channel-specific products that are different than what would be released to the general market,” Hockett said. “A good example of that is the Fireproof DVD. The one that’s for the Christian market has ministry tools with it, a song from Casting Crowns and a free Fireproof (greeting) card offer with it. … I think that we need to do a better job of getting that information to stores and to our customers.”

One way to get information to customers is not only through radio, but also by creating “an e-mail list of people who enjoy Christian music and then regularly sending those people updates on new music,” said Riskey of CBA.

Other marketing ideas he suggests include starting a section in the store for “grass roots”—or local—artists and then hosting occasional concerts for them in the store’s parking lot or in the store itself if there is space. “This would begin to build traffic from groups that may never have considered their local Christian bookstore,” he said.

Another idea is to take all the local worship pastors to lunch. “Find out what they’re doing and what God is doing in their church,” Riskey said. “These relationships would be helpful to foster to help make a stronger connection to the churches in your community. Find out what music those pastors are using for worship and maybe those CDs could be made available at a book table after the services.”

Training

A well-trained staff sells more products, and CBA has a Web-based initiative supported by major music labels and distributors to help retailers do just that. Hockett said the program is still in the testing phases but will eventually make training employees easier for stores. Retailers can currently sign up for the program at www.cbaonline.org.

The new effort, CBA Connect, is “a social learning system,” Hockett said. “We’re loading it with different training information, and for the first time, the training is tracked. We know who took it, we know what they did, so this is something that was produced so it could be used by the industry.

“Even Family Christian Stores or Parable Group can have their own place on there that’s separate from what CBA has, and they can still do proprietary-type training. The whole idea is that you don’t do training unless you can measure it.”

Retail insiders are quick to note that product information, while important, isn’t everything. Half the battle is engaging and listening to the customer, something that too many stores aren’t doing, Ross believes.

“The reason that some retailers are selling lots of music is that they are engaging the customer,” Ross said. “(Too often it seems) you hire someone who’s a good Christian and can’t sell the product, or you hire someone who’s a fan of the product and can’t sell the product. We’ve gotten into this mentality that we’re not going to (bother) our customer. You have to be proactive about that. … We can’t automatically jump to a conclusion about what a person will or won’t buy.”

Music still viable

While stand-alone music stores are increasingly rare, it’s clear that for now Christian music is still a viable category within a diversified Christian bookstore. However, the glory days of five years ago are gone.

Today, a successful music department requires plenty of promotion, know-how, a well-trained staff and constant attention to maintaining appropriate inventory levels. CBA has created a list of best practices—available at cbablog.typepad.com—which retailers might consider to boost the performance of their music department.

“I don’t think this is a dead category by any shape,” CBA’s Hockett said. “Part of it is the way people are looking at it. How robust it was doesn’t diminish its importance now. The real Christian retail core customer, they buy music a lot, and they shop the store not just for themselves, but also for their friends. … In retail, it’s like anything else: When you focus on something and you really have a strategy with it, it works.”

Other experts talk not only about strategy, but also about attitude. In a down economy and in an already struggling industry, it’s easy to get discouraged, but retailers must remember why they got into Christian retail in the first place.

“My own personal belief is that it’s really important for music executives and retailers to remember why we got into this business; we wanted to honor Christ with a different message,” Funderburg said. “And with the economy and being around negative thinkers, well, it’s a lot easier to become like who you hang out with.”

Ross of Parable said people are still buying CDs, and it’s not just older people.

“Lil Wayne isn’t appealing to my mom, and he’s selling millions of (physical) records,” Ross said. “(Christian rock band) RED’s Innocence & Instinct was our number two-selling album last week, and that’s not going to appeal to my grandma either. … People are still buying CDs. It’s a different world, but it’s full of sound.”

Mastering opportunities in the foundational category is a must

The recent spate of best-sellers by outspoken atheists, the circulation of The Da Vinci Code’s church-conspiracy theories and a national decline in church attendance haven’t harmed the Bible’s popularity: In an April 2008 Harris Poll, Americans named history’s best-seller their favorite book.

That’s simply because while most ancient books can only be found in museums, the Bible is still relevant and answers life’s most difficult questions, according to American Bible Society President Lamar Vest.

“Its popularity is unparalleled, its appeal eternal,” Vest said. “Most importantly, the words of this Book change lives. Despite growing opposition from various segments of our society, the Holy Scriptures remain a steady force in our world.”

And they remain the cornerstone of Christian retailing—not only serving as the inspiration for all other products, but being presented in an almost dizzying array of options themselves.

Although uninformed shoppers may ask what “the Bible” costs, any Christian retailer can describe hundreds of translations, designs and study options. Retailers contacted listed 800 to 1,000 varieties in stock, while in 2007, Christian stores’ sales covered 7,000-plus SKUs, according to Michael Covington of the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA).

The growing diversity of the Bibles market is illustrated by the venerable Thompson Chain-Reference Bible, which for years came in one version: King James (KJV). Today, publisher Kirkbride Bible Co. lists 112 SKUs, not counting software editions.

Though the Thompson still only comes in four translations—with the New International Version (NIV), New American Standard Bible (NASB) and New King James Version (NKJV) added to the KJV between 1983 and 1997—the many variations within each version have bumped the company’s SKU count past the century mark.

The count even surprises Kirkbride President Michael Gage, whose family founded the Indianapolis-based company in 1908.

“That’s the number one concern with stores, because of the turnover of clerks and (finding) someone to man the Bible section and who’s educated about what’s in the section,” Gage said.

The huge selection means that Christian retailers need to know how to choose, stock, merchandize and sell Bibles well if they are to make the most of what is their core competitive advantage.

In addition to all the handheld versions, the Bible can be downloaded, searched online and comes to life on crisp audio recordings. None of this is surprising, according to research commissioned by Thomas Nelson in 2006.

Consumer taste

Wayne Hastings, senior vice president and group publisher in Nelson’s Bible division, said the company discovered a wealth of customers who are desperately seeking God. To buttress their search, they may grab a new Bible if it fits in their briefcase, the color matches their Sunday suit or it can be played on an iPod during commutes.

“In the U.S., 38% of our customers own three to 10 Bibles,” Hastings said. “What you have is a customer who is looking to fill niches within their library. They’re filling out this library … with the ultimate goal of getting closer to God. They want that relationship.

“They’re willing to spend money on multiple Bibles to do that. That’s why these niches are important … because the consumer says they’re important.”

Not only is demand for variations driving supply, but the Bible also helps attract destination shoppers. When it comes to breadth and depth, no one can touch Christian bookstores.

“I would say it’s our number one product and it continues to sell in spite of the economy,” said Paul Glenn, book department buyer for the Potomac Adventist Book & Health Food Store in Silver Spring, Md.

“It does help the Christian bookstore to be a destination place for Bibles. Christian bookstores are the only place where you’ll find a significant variety. And with secular stores that carry Bibles, there’s not always somebody there to hand-sell them.”

At Guiding Light Christian Store in suburban Huntington, W.Va., Bibles (30%) now outrank books (20%) in generating sales. Where book buyers are quick to grab a title online or from a discount outlet, customers want to check out a Bible’s features, said co-owner Roy Adams. “That’s one thing that is a strong seller for us,” Adams said.

The Bible even tops sales at the place one would expect most people to already own a copy—church. Geni Hulsey, president of the Church Bookstore Network, said the Bible is the first or second most popular item at most church bookstores.

“Just because they are at church, (people) are thinking about the need for spiritual material, including Bibles,” said Hulsey, who managed The Garden Bookstore at Houston’s First Baptist Church for 15 years.

Although the array of choices means retailers must spend more time explaining features, the president of an Arkansas-based chain said that this personal attention offers Christian stores a competitive edge.

“I think that’s what gives us an advantage over Amazon.com, Sam’s or Wal-Mart,” said John O’Dell, head of the Arkansas-based Christian Book Outlet (CBO). “Customers know we have product knowledge.”

Product knowledge

Knowledge spells a critical difference when consumers are increasingly turning to general markets for other Christian resources, said Covington, ECPA’s information and education director.

“Those who do an outstanding job of supporting their local markets with a great selection of Bibles, with the ability to offer competitive special ordering (and) a knowledgeable sales staff … have a better chance at doing well with Bible sales,” Covington said.

A well-informed staff is crucial to Christian stores maintaining their edge in a market where chains such as Books-A-Million are expanding their Bible sections.

Besides this challenge, industry research shows that nearly half the people entering Christian stores in search of a Bible leave without one, typically because they are overwhelmed by the choices in front of them.

Resources offered by CBA and various publishers aim to help rescue some of these lost sales.

In addition to a Bible translations and versions poster, CBA maintains ongoing best-sellers lists for translations (both dollar and unit sales), Bible studies, children’s Bibles and study/specialty Bibles. The association also markets frontline Bible e-learning software to equip retail staff.

Although such publishers as Zondervan offer online training and include free-product incentives for completing the course, one veteran retailer prefers the days when more sales reps visited the store in person.

“I know publishers have to streamline their efforts, but it used to be exciting to have them come in,” said Brian Tolliver, formerly a sales associate at the now-closed Berean Christian Stores’ Southport outlet in Indianapolis. “They’d have a morning meeting and bring free product. It got you excited and informed you about the product.”

Merchandising systems

When it comes to merchandising, the time-honored method has been to shelve Bibles by translation, the method preferred by most retailers with whom Christian Retailing spoke, although some chains sort by publisher.

An approach introduced by Thomas Nelson, based on its 2006 research, is a “felt needs” model, where Bibles are grouped by types, such as study Bibles, devotional, daily reading or large print. Approximately 150 independents and several non-Christian retailers had picked up on the offering by late 2008.

This grouping allows customers to see a greater range of products instead of taking them into a particular translation niche, which many don’t understand, Hastings said.

“Looking for type and translation becomes a feature like power steering in a car,” Hastings said. “You’re unlimited because you’re looking at need rather than a specific translation.”

CBO prefers to shelve its Bibles by translation, utilizing pre-printed headers from Zondervan to identify its products. “That gives a customer clarity about seeing if he’s buying the King James Version (KJV), New Living Translation (NLT) or children’s Bible,” O’Dell said. “And, it’s hard for our staff to mis-shelve a Bible.”

The translation system also worked best at The Garden Bookstore in Houston, although Hulsey said that varied among other church operations: “As I correspond with other church bookstores, I have had some tell me the felt-needs system has worked very well for them.”

No matter how their Bibles are grouped, many retailers grapple with the product explosion, but Tolliver doesn’t share their apprehension. There are so many different types and kinds of people in the world, he thinks the industry should do everything it can to reach them with God’s Word.

“You get so many different people coming through the doors with so many needs,” Tolliver said. “Customers come into the Bible department and say, ‘Gosh, where do I start?’ But as long as you’ve got (staff) there with product knowledge, that helps alleviate frustration.”

For O’Dell, the variety of Duo-Tones and other cover choices has been driving sales of late. Different styles and features sell more Bibles, he acknowledged, with new looks appealing to customers who already own several copies.

“Having two or three Bibles isn’t enough if there’s another product out there that brings out a deeper view,” O’Dell said. “You’re not really selling people another Bible as much as a feature to enhance their personal study.”

If there is an old standby in the Bible department, it’s the KJV, which ranks high in sales nationwide.

In West Virginia, the once-traditional favorite accounts for seven of every 10 Bibles sold at Guiding Light. That is why Adams would like to see more options available, such as KJVs for women with a pink cover spotlighting breast cancer awareness or more of the ever-popular white covers.

While he sometimes feels a bit overwhelmed by the constant stream of cover changes each season, on balance he doesn’t think there are too many Bibles. He only carries about 10 translations of the many that exist.

New versions

No matter the version, though, another reality is on the minds of most Bible publishers: the visually oriented tastes that dominate the under-40 demographic. Technology advances are enhancing new Bibles’ more graphic design, with recent developments making it possible to print four-color illustrations on Bible paper.

Brian Vos, director of Bibles and e-commerce for Baker Publishing Group, sees an expanding Bible section in the future. “For a long time it was a sleepy section with the King James,” he said. “It’s very competitive (now), but there are still a lot of opportunities for new Bibles.”

Thomas Nelson shook things up five years ago with the introduction of its “BibleZine” format, presenting the Bible in magazine style. But while the series has proved very popular, there seems to be a limit on the boundaries for what is acceptable in Christian stores.

Despite the economic downturn that accelerated last October and cut into the year’s book sales, many retailers and publishers were looking for the multi-hued Bible field to end 2008 on a positive note, thanks to a healthy crop of fall releases.

Among the popular items were Crossway Books & Bibles’ ESV Study Bible; Thomas Nelson’s new translation, The Voice, its Chronological Study Bible and three new versions of the Word of Promise audio Bible; and Tyndale House Publishers’ NLT Study Bible>.

In the fall, Zondervan rolled out an MP3 version of its popular audio Bible, Inspired By… The Bible Experience, including text to allow users to read while they listen. However, its major ’08 releases were the 30th anniversary editions of the NIV, including an updated NIV Study Bible, updated Teen NIV Study Bibleand the NIV Adventure Bible for kids.

Crossway’s experience with the ESV Study Bible—released seven years after the translation’s 2001 debut—demonstrated the market’s receptivity to new editions. Crossway has sold more than 185,000 copies of the study Bible, with the first two printings selling out less than a month after its Oct. 15 debut.

In addition to the study Bible, Crossway promotes the ESV itself, an update of the 1971 edition of the Revised Standard Version (RSV), and offers an audio version of the translation, the ESV Hear the Word Audio Bible, on CD and MP3.

Digital emphasis

The fact that Crossway’s ESV is even offered in audio demonstrates how multiple options are becoming standard Bible fare.

Although Tyndale didn’t include Internet hyperlinks in its new study Bible, purchasers gained limited access to an online version that went into beta testing last fall.

The digital version is just one of Tyndale’s high-tech Bible products—which include iLumina, with more than 500,000 in circulation—and a pocket Bible for Windows.

“It’s almost at the point where it’s become an expected part of what’s going on,” said Kevin O’Brien, Tyndale’s director of Bibles and reference. “We’re seeing as many people use Bible software or PDAs. The ability to have access to the information is highly regarded.”

Nor is the bleak economy harming high-end products. Several publishers said demand has remained steady for premium versions retailing at $100 and up.

Vos acknowledged some impact from the worsening economy last fall. However, he said Bible aficionados still like the goatskin leather covers and quality bindings of the Cambridge Bibles that Baker Publishing Group distributes in the U.S. and Canada.

While most publishers see a continuing demand for print Bibles, it remains to be seen how Inspired By …The Bible Experience and The Word of Promise will affect the field for audio and video products.

Both productions had a dramatic effect, said Brian Scharp, vice president of Bible marketing for Zondervan. “They demonstrated it’s possible to (improve) a product that was considered a niche product,” said Scharp, noting that entering the Christmas season Inspired By … The Bible Experience had sold 750,000 copies.

Of course, no matter how many options are available for readers, publishers have an underlying concern: Research shows that despite a huge circulation, too many owners seldom read their Bibles.

Thus, one of Zondervan’s goals is to persuade readers to engage the Word on a more regular basis, Scharp said.

“We hope to inspire them into a deeper dive into God’s Word,” he said. “Our goal is to create Bibles that are as accessible to as many people as possible.”

Best-selling 
Bibles for 2008

Drawn from its PubTrack Christian sales data from Christian retail stores across the country, the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association’s Top Twenty Bibles list for last year spotlights some of the strengths of the category for Christian stores.

With prices ranging from $1.99 to $4.99, the top three sellers highlight the potential for multiple sales for purchasers wanting to give away the Scriptures in evangelistic efforts and the opportunity for stores to connect with consumers who are ministry-minded.

Meanwhile, the inclusion of niche-audience versions, like Zondervan’s $44.99 True Images NIV in bubble gum/chocolate Duo-Tone, underscores the higher-than-average sales to be found in moderately priced editions.

And while later-in-the-year new releases from Tyndale House Publishers and Crossway generated much interest, their sales were not high enough to displace longer-established editions on the list.

1. Text Bible-NKJV (Thomas Nelson), $2.99
2. Outreach New Testament–ESV (Crossway Books & Bibles), $1.99
3. Operation Worship Bible–NLT (Tyndale House Publishers), $4.99
4. Thinline Bible-NIV, burgundy bonded leather (Zondervan), $24.99
5. The Adventure Bible-NIV, hardcover (Zonderkidz/Zondervan), $26.99
6. The Word of Promise New Testament Audio Bible-NKJV, CD (Thomas Nelson), $49.99
7. Gift and Award Bible-KJV, black leatherflex (Thomas Nelson), $4.97
8. Adventure Bible (Updated)-NIV, hardcover (Zonderkidz/Zondervan), $27.99
9. Gift and Award Bible-NKJV, black leatherflex (Thomas Nelson), $5.97
10. Quest Study Bible-NIV, hardcover (Zondervan), $34.99
11. Witness Edition Bible-NIV (Zondervan), $5.99
12. Gift and Award Bible-KJV, red leatherflex (Thomas Nelson), $4.97
13. Thinline Bible-NIV, black bonded leather (Zondervan), $24.99
14. Thinline Bible-NIV, navy bonded leather (Zondervan), $24.99
15. Princess Bible-ICB (Thomas Nelson), $24.99
16. Gift and Award Bible-KJV, navy leatherflex (Thomas Nelson), $4.97
17. Finding God: New Testament-NIV (Zondervan), $4.99
18. True Images-NIV, bubble gum/chocolate Duo-Tone (Zondervan), $44.99
19. Gift and Award Bible-NIV, black imitation leather (Zondervan), $7.99
20. Gift and Award Bible-NIV, burgundy imitation leather (Zondervan), $7.99

Some retailers are showing a level of Mother’s Day initiative and ingenuity that, well, would make their mothers proud. Instead of relying solely on special gift titles or promotional materials from publishers, they’re looking for inventive ways to drive sales mom’s way.

Retailers interviewed by Christian Retailing agreed that Mother’s Day is a great time for selling frontlist as well as backlist books, gifts—including gift books, music boxes, trinket boxes, plaques, vases, hand lotion and jewelry—and greeting cards.

Matt Nicholson, owner of Lakewood Christian Gift Center in Lakewood, Wash., ranks Mother’s Day as his second biggest sales season, and plans to create his own shrink-wrapped gift baskets this year.

“We’ll handpick items that will be a good match for mothers, whatever we have at the time, I imagine,” Nicholson said.

As a Munce Group store, Dightman’s Bible Book Center in Tacoma, Wash., has the benefit of a catalog full of Mother’s Day specials. Munce will be mailing more than 3 million catalogs and will provide stores with signage. Despite the advantage of being a marketing group member, owner Donna Dightman Baker isn’t resting on her laurels. For example, she purchased some close-out packages of discontinued items for mothers from P. Graham Dunn.

Bryan Sapp, manager at Family Books & Gifts in North Highlands, Calif., plans to host a mother/daughter tea. He will advertise the event through customer e-mails, a mailed flier and a newspaper advertisement. Tickets for the event will be sold at $3 a piece.

“Our events always do really well,” Sapp said.

Gifts galore

The reason Mother’s Day is so important for Christian retailers is simple: People love to get gifts for mom.

“If you wanted a short version of trendy items for Mother’s Day, you can never go wrong with jewelry or picture frames,” said Tina Wohlgemuth, general manager of Servant Marketing, a Texas-based company. “It all depends on how much money the customer is wanting to spend.”

In order to drive gift sales during the season, retailers might consider putting together a large display with all sorts of gifts and books for Mother’s Day. It should be placed front and center in the store, said Steve Mohler, vice president of marketing for Dicksons Gifts.

“My wife likes to buy journals for her mother,” Mohler said. “If she goes to buy the journal and displayed next to the journals is a nice mug, more than likely that store will get additional cash register rings from her.”

“Your display should offer a variety of price points as well,” said Sherry Morris, marketing manager for Carpentree. “Create something that gives consumers options.”

Publisher strategy

Most publishers focus on gift books during Mother’s Day, if they release any new products at all.

Barbour Publishing is releasing two new products, with its A Celebration of Mothers ($9.97, March) by Helen Steiner Rice and Power Prayers for Women gift edition ($14.97, March) by Jackie M. Johnson.

Few publishers are producing special books for Mother’s Day this year. For example, Beacon Hill Press won’t publish any books for mothers around Mother’s Day, although it did in 2008 with the release Quiet Moments for Moms by Joyce Williams and Quiet Moments for Grandmothers by Kay Marshall Strom.

“It was more of a fluke,” said Barry Russell, Beacon Hill marketing manager, adding that the company’s strategy is “to develop resources that come alongside moms … on more than just the celebrated special days of the year.”

Thomas Nelson didn’t wait to release the mom-friendly Robin McGraw title during Mother’s Day. Rather, What’s Age Got to Do With It? came out in December, with the publisher advertising the book in Oprah Winfrey’s O Magazine and promoting it with a national radio campaign.

The enterprising Christian retailer need not wait for special Mother’s Day titles to make hay in May. Last year, Sapp took the newly released God’s Master Plan for Your Life by Gloria Copeland (Putnam Adult) and created a Mother’s Day promotion around it.

“The publisher didn’t link the book to moms, but we did,” he said.

Creative marketing

Retailers are keeping a keen eye on their marketing spending. The Friendship Bookstore in Burnham, Pa., runs daily ads on a secular radio station year-round. Because of the station’s format, during Mother’s Day the highlighted product must appeal to a general audience, said store manager Theil Kauffman.

“You can’t measure radio exactly, but it works well for us,” he said. “People come into your store and say, ‘Where’s that book from the radio?’ ”

The Potter’s House in Valdosta, Ga., takes a new media approach. The store has a Facebook account where new releases and promotions are posted for online viewing.

“We post links so that viewers can hear or see clips of products we are promoting,” said Lee Andrews, store manager. “All of this is completely, 100% free.

“For Mother’s Day, we will use Facebook to send blasts to our customers about featured products. We keep adding ‘fans’ of the page so that each blast is being automatically received by more people, and then those people can choose to ‘share this post’ with other friends who aren’t yet fans of our page.”

Some stores are looking to connect with local churches to spur Mother’s Day sales. Kauffman holds an annual pastors’ breakfast and sends out a quarterly newsletter to those pastors. The spring issue will include Mother’s Day specials.

Nicholson noted that whatever a store’s resources, initiative and inventiveness can go a long way toward success.

“We are only limited by capital. We have all the rest,” he said. “This ingenuity all comes about not just through our own work, but through the blessings of the Holy Spirit. … It all comes from God with His will and the Holy Spirit’s help when you understand that the store does not really belong to anyone but to Him.”

Mother's Day Gifts

Barbour Publishing

A Celebration of Mothers ($9.97, March) celebrates motherhood with Helen Steiner Rice poems.

Power Prayers for Women gift edition by Jackie M. Johnson ($14.97, March) covers topics such as “My Emotions” and “My Home.”

Brownlow Gifts

Brownlow has unveiled several gift books, including the Gardens of a Mother’s Heart watercolors/essays/scripture collection ($14.99) edited by Caroline Brownlow and the accompanying journal ($9.99). The company will also publish “Heart Strings” miniature gift books ($5.99 each), with matching mugs available ($9.99). These products were to release Feb. 1.

Carpentree

Carpentree unveiled three new frames in January: Mothers, a pewter embossed frame ($15); Virtuous Woman, an embossed gold frame with scripture ($16.50); and Mom and Me, which holds a 4-by-4-inch photo ($12.50).

Zondervan

Eight Little Faces by Kate Gosselin ($14.99, April) includes photos from famous parents Jon and Kate Gosselin of the TLC TV show Jon & Kate Plus 8. In the book, Gosselin reflects on such themes as perseverance and encouragement.

The Best Is Yet to Come by Fran Fernandez ($16.99, April) offers 60 devotional meditations for women caught up in the hectic pace of life.

As Christian suppliers and retailers face a slump in consumer spending, they are looking to children’s products as a bright spot on a gloomy horizon.

A strong line of new releases and innovative marketing efforts offer hope for the spring and summer seasons, while stores have been urged to ensure that they cater to the tastes of increasingly media-savvy young visitors.