From sharing space with an auto repair shop and hosting a local high school prom to selling flowers and wigs, several Christian retailers nationwide have discovered that it is good for business to broaden their appeal with some unlikely combinations.

They say branching out from the offerings of traditional Christian bookstores has helped spur sales and boost foot traffic as well as alleviate the impact of the recession, big-box retailers and the Internet.

Christina Knox opened Christina’s Christian Bookstore in Statesville, N.C., inside the auto repair shop of her husband, Terry, two years ago. Opened four years ago, Terry’s Tire and Auto Service has approximately 3,500 square feet, while the store occupies around 1,200 square feet.

“We decided to open the bookstore in the garage office because I love to read and it made the garage a more interesting place for me to be,” Knox said. “Also, I wanted to make our garage and bookstore somewhere that God could be glorified. Almost all of my customers come from Terry’s garage.

“I have begun to pick up a few customers here and there that come just for the store,” she added, “but for the longest time my customers were just ones that were browsing while waiting for their car to be done.”

Elsewhere, 15,000-square-foot Connxions Bookstore and Event Center in Urbandale, Iowa—a suburb of Des Moines—opened in October and has hosted wedding receptions, business meetings, classes, seminars and live music as well as a Christian high school’s prom in April.

“The economy was not good, but the event center took off,” Connxions Executive Director Twila Shreves told Christian Retailing. “Two months after opening, we had people drive by and book events there.”

Besides not having “Christian” as part of the store’s title—a deliberate move to attract a non-Christian crowd—Connxions carries secular titles and gifts in its 7,500-square-foot shop. Located in a brand-new development, Connxions is “a destination store,” she said.

“Those who come for an event shop in the store, and (they) will most always buy a drink from our coffee shop,” Shreves said. “When a group comes in for their event, we give them a ‘welcome to Connxions’ coupon for 25% off.”

Meanwhile, Joyce Curtis opened His Place Christian Bookstore in Columbia, Mo., two years ago inside the 2,500-square-foot Bloomers Flowers & Gifts—a business she has owned for 20 years. With 1,200 square feet, His Place took up half the floor space of the flower shop.

“It’s a really good mix,” Curtis—who owns His Place with her son, Peter—told Christian Retailing. “The old saying is, ‘Near to God’s heart in a garden than anywhere else on earth.’ ... That’s kind of how we feel here. It’s a really great combination.

At Probasco’s Christian Bookstore in Loveland, Colo., Freida Probasco has been selling wigs as an outreach to cancer victims alongside evangelical books since 1971. The 3,500-square-foot store features a wigs section that covers 400 square feet.

“When (customers) first come in, they think it’s a bit odd,” said Freida’s son, Bart Probasco, who bought the store from his mother nearly 10 years. “But when we explain that we mainly help people with wigs who are going through cancer treatment or other diseases dealing with hair loss, they think it is really a neat ministry. My mom has led many people to Christ as she works with them.”

CBA President Bill Anderson told Christian Retailing that it is “a good thing for Christian retailers to pursue alternatives to their main lines.”

“Retailers are broadening their appeal to find new ways to connect with customers where they are, their lifestyles, values and beliefs,” he said. “As Paul said, ‘I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some.’ ”

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