Church bookstore leader Rose Seeley is confident of brick-and-mortar retail’s future Bookstore manager Rose Seeley is undaunted by the rise of e-book sales and wants to help other retailers embrace the changes coming to the industry with the same kind of optimism. “When you come into a bookstore you can browse and you will find things you will never find online,” says the manager of the bookstore at Cottonwood Church in Los Alamitos, Calif. “There will always be a place for Christian retail. Yes, the product mix may change a little, but if people are willing to change, e-publishing shouldn’t be a threat to us.” The store serving the growing Orange County church—which
attracts around 8,000 people each weekend—has seen an increase in revenues despite the sluggish economy. With no independent Christian store within a 20-mile radius, it draws some customers from the surrounding community though its focus is on resourcing church members. Cottonwood is to host Retailing ReBoot West, a repeat of Christian Retailing’s successful Retailing ReBoot event in Orlando, in April, for those who were unable to attend then. “I believe we serve the Creator of the universe and we should be at the forefront of retail, not always trying to catch up,” Seeley said of her hopes for the Oct. 17-18 event that will combine education sessions, exhibitor hours and fellowship. “I believe we can get there together—but the key is that we need to do it together.” Seeley credits the help and encouragement she got from other retailers and suppliers when she took on the running of the bookstore in 2007 for much of her success. Coming from the high-tech industry, she knew about the likes of inventory management, cash flow and
margin but was unfamiliar with the Christian products world. With a strong emphasis on Bible teaching from senior pastors Bayless and Janet Conley, the bookstore majors on book and Bible sales. The leaders have at times spotlighted resources available in the bookstore, though there is “not a lot of promotion, per se,” said Seeley. “It’s not about being a billboard or making sales, it’s more about having resources available for people.” “My life has been changed by reading good books. As a leader, I am continually seeking to grow in knowledge and to develop the gifts God has given me,” said Bayless Conley. “Others have pioneered, fought, struggled, discovered and walked with God before me ... and recorded their journey and the lessons they have learned. It would be foolish not to learn what we can from them. “I consider the bookstore on our campus an indispensable aid in helping to equip the members of our congregation for their journey with God.” Although initially reluctant, Seeley has added gifts to the mix in the last couple of years in response to demand and to help with keeping things in the store looking fresh. “I thought that gifts and e-books might affect our book sales, but they have remained steady, if not grown a bit,” she said. The store offers sermon CD and DVD recordings within minutes of the end of services and also has an in-store burning system. Seeley hopes to add e-book sales to the store’s Web site. But while she anticipates growth in that area, “there are still so many of us that still like holding a book our hands, and who pick out a Bible by looking at it and feeling it.” In addition to two paid staff, the bookstore is run by a group of around 160 volunteers who each serve a couple of times a month. On top of regular opening hours six days a week and around Sunday service times, the store is also open for conferences and special events that the church hosts. Seeley said that she thrived on “the sense that we are offering resources to people who need them. We offer prayer for people that come into the store. We want to be a blessing to the church, and part of that is running the bookstore in an efficient and business-like manner, that we are good stewards of what God gives us.”
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