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| The Essential Guide: Wholly Bible |
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| Written by Ken Walker |
| Thursday, 26 March 2009 04:48 PM America/New_York |
Mastering opportunities in the foundational category is a mustThe 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 2008Drawn 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.
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