P. Graham Dunn’s Dealer Conference drew retailers interested in seeing new products, learning about the company’s laser personalization program and being inspired and instructed through the seminars on offer. The conference was held Tuesday to Wednesday, March 18-19, at the company’s Dalton, Ohio, campus.

Guest host Crystal Vilkaitis of Crystal Media won the praise of retailers who felt she offered practical advice for effectively using social media. Both of her Tuesday seminars—“Social Media for the Time-Challenged Retailer” and “A Perfect Match”—were well-attended.  The first guided retailers on how to mainstream their efforts so they could spend more time with their customers, and the second encouraged  integrating social media and email marketing to increase foot traffic into their stores.

Another guest host, Emily Feilitz Sullivan, labeled her Tuesday talk “Displays That Make a Difference.” Sullivan discussed balancing creativity, costs and time to make an impact. She helped retailers ask the right questions about their merchandising, suggested tips on how to begin, focused on the core strategies of layout, offered sources of ideas and steps to creating displays.

“Sometimes our product is really normal, but it’s how you display it that makes it appear unique within the store,” Sullivan said.

Wednesday morning saw guest host and Covenant Group founder Chuck Wallington at the lectern asking the provocative question: “Is God Finished With Christian Retail?” He offered an honest perspective on the challenges and opportunities ahead, and reflected on some of those he has experienced at Christian Supply in Spartanburg, S.C. After learning of the loss to his store because of employee embezzlement, he felt that God was saying to him: “I’m not finished with you yet.”

Wallington added that while God may be “through with shoddy Christian retail,” He is not finished with the entire industry.

Two independent retailers, Heather Stofer of The Bookery in Mansfield, Ohio, and Debra Allen of Gifts of Joy Parable Christian Store in Lima, Ohio—told their success stories in the Revitalize & Refresh seminar, particularly of how their stores have been remodeled or renewed and the positive results they have experienced because of the effort they made.

The conference closed with a mid-day banquet. P. Graham Dunn President Joe Knutson spoke of investing in the community of Dalton and in the manufacturing process with advances such as an automatic sanding machine that is soon to arrive at the plant. He offered spiritual nuggets as well, focusing on the “faith alone” concept of Hebrews 11, encouraging retailers to run with perseverance and find the passion that becomes a “magnet,” passion that allows a person to wake up at the start of the work week and say, “Thank God it’s Monday!”

Knutson also introduced the Dunn family members who were present and reflected on the personal difficulties experience recently in the loss of his wife, Anna, who is also Peter and LeAnna Dunn’s daughter. Knutson read a note from Peter Dunn, who missed the Dealer Conference for the first time while on a tour of the Holy Land.

Thomas Dunn, son of Peter and LeAnna, who is a local Mennonite pastor challenged retailers to focus on the death and resurrection of Christ rather than on making happiness their goal. He highlighted the biblical text that commands believers to “think on these things” (Phil. 4:8-9).

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