 Tracking changes in the way stores handling their cornerstone category
An industry survey by Christian Retailing In the midst of a wildly gyrating economy and continued changes in the retail environment, the sale of Bibles remains a backbone of stability for Christian retail stores. Our latest Vital Signs survey focused on this cornerstone category, finding some changes by and opportunities for retailers. SALES Bibles accounted for 11-20% of total sales in nearly half the stores responding to our survey (47%). That share has held steady for most stores since the last time we asked the question in 2007, but although the numbers have stayed the same, the way stores are selling Bibles continues to change. One in three stores (32%) reported increased Bibles sales in the last two years, while 27% said their Bible sales were down. Broken down by the type of store: 38% of church-based stores posted increased Bible sales, compared to 29% of for-profit stores that saw Bible sales go up. SELECTION There appears to be a relationship between increased sales and larger selection. Of stores reporting increased Bible sales, 89% had also grown their selection. In the past two years, more than half the stores (54%) had increased the number of Bible SKUs they carry. Stores posting the highest gains in Bible sales had added the highest number of SKUs. Stores where Bibles accounted for more than 25% of total sales shared two common factors—a significant increase in Bible SKUs and greater selling space devoted to Bibles.  The average number of Bible SKUs carried in stock has increased since our 2007 survey by 34% from 249 to 333. Stores with the strongest Bible sales carry significantly more variety.
One store with significantly increased sales reported stocking 1,152 different Bible SKUs, and two stores checked in with 750, more than twice the overall average. Those numbers may cause concern among a large number of retailers who told us that they plan to reduce their Bible inventory in the coming year. When asked what changes, if any, they planned to make in their Bible department, most stores that had plans to change said they were going to trim down their inventory and concentrate on their top-selling SKUs. STYLE The New International Version (NIV) was the best-selling translation in 49% of stores and in the top four at 90%. The King James Version (KJV) sold best in 22% of stores and was in the top four at 75%. The New King James Version (NKJV) was the best-selling translation in 8% of stores, while 3% named the New Living Translation (NLT) as their best-selling version. No other translations achieved best-seller status in a statistically significant number of stores. No single translation enjoyed universal appeal for retailers. The NIV was always in stock at 94% of Christian stores, while 90% said they always stock the NKJV, and 84% said they were never out of the KJV. Eugene Peterson’s The Message is a “must carry” at 82% of stores. The ESV and NLT are always available at 81% of stores. SKILLS Most retailers felt that their staff’s level of Bible sales training was “good,” averaging a 3.14 on our 4-point scale. The strongest area of expertise was identified as the “ability to help customers decide” and the weakest being “knowledge of different Bible formats.” Three-quarters of respondents said that they had at least one person on their team who was considered an “expert” when it comes to Bible sales. Nearly 60% of those taking the survey classified their own skills as “expert.” Zondervan’s sales training program for Bibles was far and away the favorite among retailers. Nearly every retailer who had an opinion about vendor-supplied training mentioned the company. What was equally significant in the survey was the large number of retailers who appeared to have not taken advantage of any training program offered by publishers.
Jim Seybert is an author and consultant living in Arroyo Grande, Calif. He can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
WHAT DO YOU THINK? ...of the findings and comments? Write to Vital Signs at: Christian Retailing, 600 Rinehart Road, Lake Mary, FL 32746, or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
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