HarperCollins Christian division will be sole occupant of new location

HarperCollins Christian Publishing announced today the relocation of its Zondervan publishing offices to a new building less than five miles from its current headquarters. This transition from the Patterson Drive location echoes Zondervan’s previous commitment to remain in Grand Rapids, Mich., where the company has been based since its 1931 founding.

“Our commitment to have a presence in Grand Rapids remains strong, and this new location will bring new opportunities for the future,” said Mark Schoenwald, president and CEO of HarperCollins Christian Publishing. 

The publisher signed a multi-year lease as the new building’s sole occupant, and will begin retrofitting plans immediately for its new home at 3900 Sparks Drive SE. Construction is expected to begin in the fall.

Zondervan moved to its current offices in 1992, and shares the building with the corporate headquarters of Family Christian Stores. An earlier report indicated that Family plans to stay in the building. 

Zondervan recently sold its former warehouse and distribution center in Grand Rapids. The company laid off 75 employees last summer when it vacated its warehouse and distribution center. The 395,000-square-foot office and distribution center once used by Zondervan will be divided into two segments—a 200,000-square-foot industrial building and a 100,000-square-foot office building, according to its new owner, Franklin Partners, The Grand Rapids Press reported.

The Patterson Drive lease will expire Jan. 31, 2014. In July, the company notified its employees that it would not be renewing its lease.

Parent company’s plan calls for closing the Nashville facility

HarperCollins Christian Publishing has placed Thomas Nelson’s 277,000-square-foot distribution center in Nashville up for sale.

HarperCollins Christian Publishing Director of Corporate Communications Casey Harrell told Christian Retailing that no date had been set for the closing of the warehouse.

“As part of the announced strategic plan in November 2012, the company has begun marketing the availability of its distribution center,” Harrell said. “Last year, it was released that in order to better align with HarperCollins Publishers’ global print platform and supply chain agreement, we would be closing the facility during the winter of 2013. 

“This does not apply to the corporate offices as they will remain the headquarters for HarperCollins Christian Publishing, which includes Thomas Nelson,” Harrell added. “We remain committed to our plan of a winter closure. Currently, we have 102 employees that work in the warehouse.”

Last fall, HarperCollins Christian signed an agreement with printing company R.R. Donnelley—which handles the majority of HarperCollins books—to provide warehousing and distribution services for all of its titles nationwide, reported Nashville’s The Tennessean.

Poor communication and lack of clear administrative policies can lead to complaints, ‘diminish ministry’ of stores

A quiet conflict has been growing between Christian authors and church-based stores, one that has caused rifts  in relationships and cost stores more than pocket change through the years.

Many authors in the CBA marketplace undertake speaking engagements at churches in an effort to promote their message and increase their visibility. As with any author, one of the primary goals when going on a speaking circuit is to promote and sell their books. However, when the host church also has a store, the authors’ methods in achieving this goal can raise store staff’s hackles. The key point of contention is when authors bring their own copies of their books to sell, bypassing the on-site bookstore and sidelining existing ministries.

“This is a huge problem, and is one about which I have heard numerous complaints from church bookstore managers,” said George Thomsen, former CBA chairman of the board and director of The Harvest Store at Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, Calif.

Thomsen sees the problem as “unique to CBA,” he said. “When an author does a book signing in an ABA store, or even a non-church CBA store, they are not selling and signing author’s copies of the book.”

In what should be a mutually beneficial arrangement for author and bookstore alike, most stores end up getting little to no bump in sales when authors bring their own products to sell.

“The whole purpose of the signing event is to increase sales of the book for the store,” Thomsen said. “The authors still derive a financial benefit on the royalties they receive from the sale of every book.”

Though this problem seems to be largely focused on authors, music artists can end up in disputes with the host church’s bookstore as well.

“Artists and authors who perform or speak at church events have all travel-related expenses paid by the church, and they usually are paid an honorarium,” he said. “However, when it comes to churches, artists and authors often want exclusive rights to sales on the day they are at the church.”

This practice can result in bad blood between the store, whose staff often hand-sell the author’s books, and the author.

“The bookstore commits to stock an author’s titles year round,” Thomsen said. “The bookstore promotes the product and contributes to the author’s notoriety and success.

“When the church invites the author to come, provides an opportunity for exposure to a large audience and pays them well to speak or perform, it seems unfair that the author then tells the store they cannot sell their product when they are there,” he argued. “It does not show that the author cares about or is willing to support that store that supports them year round.”

When confronted with aggressive agents booking the events, “churches give in because they think they have to,” Thomsen said.

There are ways to avoid this issue, though, and most of them start with the host church’s administration.

“Church store managers should inform their business administrators that they don’t have to accept this practice,” Thomsen said. “They need to know that this is not usual practice for the ABA stores, nor is it for non-church CBA stores.”

“It is OK to tell the author or artist that the bookstore will be handling all sales for the day,” he continued. “This should be acceptable to them as they still make a royalty on every book sold.”

Part of the solution could lie with CBA publishers whose authors and artists make up the bulk of the church event circuit.

“Publishers can insert language into authors’ contracts that precludes them from selling authors’ copies of their books at churches where a bookstore is on site,” Thomsen offered, adding that he believed at least one large publisher has already taken this step.

At present, however, most of the responsibility ultimately lies with the churches and authors who write and sign the contracts for the events.

“The issue reflects many church-store managers’ concerns about the disconnection between church-store mission and church leadership policy and action,” said Curtis Riskey, president of CBA. “It is difficult to resolve the issue without internal clarity about individual goals, mutual understandings and common alignment that drives decision-making.”

Some churches are already working together with their store ministries to combat this practice. For example, Prestonwood Baptist Church in Dallas has adopted and maintained a policy that ensures that the products authors wish to sell at their event will be sold through the on-site store. They formalize this in the guest speaker contracts, thus making sure all parties are on the same page well before the event takes place. This also allows Prestonwood’s store to have sufficient stock of the author’s works on hand to meet increased demand during and after the event.

Riskey cautions that a one-size-fits-all approach may not work for every church and every store, though.

“There is no set way to overcome the issue because church leadership styles and personalities are different,” he said. “Our church-store educational classes at ICRS [International Christian Retail Show] provide guidance and interaction among church-store managers to help individuals understand what has worked for others to help resolve the issue.”

Many of the myriad options available to church stores have found success for church, store and author alike, reports Geni Hulsey, a church bookstore veteran who conducts those workshops at CBA’s summer show.

In one potential setup, following the model illustrated by Prestonwood, “the books are sold through the bookstore and run through the POS system of the store—even if a special location is created to expedite sales,” she said. “This is very important to the author/music group if the store is tied into any system that tallies the sales of the books/music.”

Some churches handle the situation on a case-by-case basis, making the author aware that there is a store in the church and providing a choice.

“It has been my experience that most published authors just don’t want to be bothered with it and are thrilled to find out someone will handle the details for them,” Hulsey said.

Others take a more traditional route, where the store simply invites the author in for a book signing and meet-and-greet, with the store handling all the sales.

Sometimes the authors themselves end up taking the higher road, standing as a testament to the reason they are speaking in the first place.

“There are some very high-profile authors who have come to our church, and have not insisted on selling their own product,” Thomsen said. “These authors’ primary focus in coming to the church is to minister. They want the bookstore to do well and know that when the bookstore benefits they benefit from increased exposure as well as in royalties, though that is not their primary motive.”

But when communication breaks down, the mission itself begins to erode.

“Many times there is no policy and guest speakers are invited, bringing their own books,” Hulsey said. “The store manager is not involved in any way.”

“The sad part about it being handled this way is that the store manager and workers feel less than a part of the ministry of the church,” she said. “It diminishes the ministry of the store.”

FaithWords’ trade title ‘God Is Not Mad at You’ is popular Bible teacher’s latest release

Bible teacher and author Joyce Meyer’s books hit the century mark Sept. 3 as God is Not Mad at You hit stores. The new FaithWords title is the 100th published book by Meyer, a No. 1 New York Times best-selling author.

“I am amazed at all God has done in my life and I’m honored to be able to share His goodness in my books,” Meyer said of the achievement. “Over the years, I’ve discovered the freedom found by applying God’s Word to my life, and my desire is to help others do the same. I am truly blessed.”

Of her 100 books, 78 are still in print. The total does not include booklets her ministry has published.

Fifteen of Meyer’s titles have landed on the New York Times list, including Approval Addiction; The Confident Woman; and one of her novels, The Penny, co-written with Deborah Bedford.

Meyer’s top 10 best-sellers are Battlefield of the Mind (updated edition); The Secret Power of Speaking God’s Word; Power Thoughts; The Confident Woman; Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life; Living Beyond Your Feelings; Makes Good Habits, Breaking Bad Habits; Do Yourself a Favor…Forgive; Never Give Up; and New Way of Living. Battlefield of the Mind was originally published in 1995 and has sold 3 million copies.

Along with God is Not Mad at You, Meyer’s 2013 titles include a children’s book, The Perfect Christmas Pageant (Zonderkidz, September) and Power Thoughts Devotional (FaithWords, October).

‘Proven business success’ will benefit Christian retail association

CBA’s board of directors added two new members and confirmed an appointed representative in August to bring “a strong focus on brick-and-mortar retailing and the industry’s simultaneous transition into digital business.”

The Christian retail group’s members elected Vicki Geist, co-owner of Cedar Springs Christian Stores in Knoxville, Tenn., as director representing independent retailers with annual sales of more than $750,000. David Dickinson, owner of Christian Gifts Place in Wilton, Conn., initially was appointed to fill a vacated seat, but now will serve his first elected term as director representing independent retailers with annual sales of less than $750,000.DaySpring Senior Vice President of Commercialization Bill Couey was elected as gift and specialty director. Each will serve three-year terms beginning Oct. 1.

“God has orchestrated an incredible group of board members for ‘such a time as this,’ ” said Sue Smith, general manager of Baker Book House in Grand Rapids, Mich., who takes over as board chairman when George Thomsen’s term ends Sept. 30. “The governance and leadership of the CBA industry will require keen strategic planning and innovation as we move forward in redefining who we are. A snapshot of these dedicated directors will reveal proven business success, a commitment to represent and serve on members’ behalf, and a wholehearted passion to see this industry thrive.”

CBA President Curtis Riskey said the board “purposely and untypically represents all industry segments because of the common mission of Christian resources.”

“We want to be sure that individuals are heard, and that there is diversity at the table,” Riskey said.

Geist is a second-generation co-owner of Cedar Springs Christian Stores.

“I want CBA to continue to help independent stores,” she said. “I have been an independent retailer for over 35 years and that is where my heart is. I would also like to see suppliers more actively involved to help independents survive in this new retail environment.”

Dickinson, who opened his store seven years ago, has more than 20 years of corporate experience and 10 years in consulting with Fortune 100 companies. He has been instrumental in CBA’s planning initiatives and is consulting on mobile marketing.

Couey leads DaySpring’s product marketing, design, supply chain and distribution teams. He believes CBA must bring a voice for change to Christian retailing.

“The need for products that bring the hope, joy and life-saving message of Jesus to people is greater than ever.”

Christian products leaders give ‘kudos’ to association for move to attract more retailers to marquee event

CBA is offering free buyer admission to next year’s International Christian Retail Show (ICRS) in an effort to attract more retailers to its marquee summer event—and is receiving praise for the move.

“ICRS is changing dramatically next year with new features, new exhibitor procedures, integrated exhibitor marketing support and free buyer admission,” CBA officials announced. “Exhibitors only need to commit to participate, with a minimal deposit to reserve space. … The earlier exhibitor commitments are received, the better opportunities exhibitors will have to optimize plans.”

At this years’ show in St. Louis, Professional attendance was down 15% to 1,485 buyers.

Chuck Wallington, owner of Christian Supply in Spartanburg, S.C., told Christian Retailing that the free buyer admission move was a good idea.

“BEA [Book Expo America] has offered free badge admission for ABA [American Booksellers Association] member stores for buyers for years,” said Wallington, who is also Covenant Group’s founder and president. “Also, almost all of the gift market conventions—Atlanta, Dallas, etc.—offer free admission to buyers.

 He doesn’t see any drawbacks to the free admission offer.

“Yes, I think it will increase retailer attendance,” Wallington said. “It removes yet another financial obstacle. It depends on the location, but we will send more folks to ICRS. If it is in the Southeastern U.S., probably so.”

Mark Hutchinson—co-owner of Blessings, a Canadian chain of four stores based in Chilliwack, British Columbia, said that “conceptually, it is a good idea.”

“It will increase retailer attendance only if driven well and promoted strongly,” he said. “[CBA must] consistently explain the bottom-line benefits to the individual retailer.”

Brenda Harrison, co-owner of Lighthouse Christian Bookstore in Bedford, Ind., said the free admission offer “sounds good.”

“Many other gift marts are free to registered retailers with a tax ID number,” she said. “I see it increasing retailer attendance, especially if stores are in the vicinity of the event because additional personnel from these stores could attend without additional costs.

“It is always nice to save money, but ICRS is one event that we find very beneficial as an independent retailer to attend each year,” Harrison added. “We would send more folks to ICRS if we were in the close vicinity of the event because we think it would be beneficial for our team to meet, learn and see what is available from suppliers who support our industry. We would love for them to be able to experience it firsthand.”

 David Lewis, executive vice president of sales and marketing for Baker Publishing Group, applauded CBA’s move.

“Any new ideas to help increase the participation of booksellers is worth considering,” he said. “It might be even better to allow free admission to any bookseller staff person—buyer or not.

“A significant increase in buyers is not likely to occur just because they are given free admission, but it won’t hurt either,” Lewis added. “To have more buyers attend, there must be sufficient value to warrant the time away from the store and the expense. One free night in a convention hotel for a buyer might be enough to make more buyers consider attending.”

Lewis also praised CBA President Curtis Riskey “for asking for input from many different places.”

“CBA seems very serious about re-imagining the ICRS show within the confines of their long-term convention contracts,” he said. “They are talking with other Christian events and organizations to determine which, if any, would be a good fit for a joint event. We believe that given enough time, and they will have to make tough decisions, a better event is coming within three years.”

Lighthouse Vice President of Sales Ed Nizynski believes it’s “a great day anytime we can help retailers.” 

“Kudos to CBA,” Nizynski said. “I hope and think it will increase retailer attendance. I do not see any drawbacks. We are very happy to hear this news. We will send more folks to ICRS as we are very optimistic. We believe that when more attend, more is accomplished together in further focusing on and helping grow the kingdom.”

Among the other new ICRS features are: the second year of CBA’s Cover My Expenses program to offset buyer travel costs; new exhibit areas designed to build floor traffic; new booth space configurations to maximize exhibitor area and marketing; and expanded international marketing to drive global business.

ICRS 2014 will be held June 22-25 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta.

New deal enables Southern Baptist chain to serve new markets and boosts total stores to 180 locations in 28 states

LifeWay Christian Stores has begun the process of acquiring Berean Christian Stores, a 17-store regional chain. Berean’s stores are located primarily in California, Arizona and the Midwest with corporate headquarters in Cincinnati.

“This is a tremendous opportunity,” said Thom S. Rainer, president of LifeWay Christian Resources, parent company of LifeWay Christian Stores. “Berean, like LifeWay, is known for their commitment to serving church customers. This acquisition will significantly increase LifeWay’s opportunities for ministry across the country.”

LifeWay currently owns 163 stores in 26 states, and will increase to 180 stores in 28 states after finalizing the acquisition.

Tim Vineyard, president of the LifeWay Christian Stores division, said his staff are eagerly looking forward to serving customers in the new markets.

“Berean’s mission and product mix are generally very compatible with LifeWay’s, although, of course, we will be making some changes in keeping with our current standards,” Vineyard said.

Berean Christian Stores was started in 1934 and purchased by Joseph and Deanna Gimelli in 2009.

“Berean’s corporate and local store staffs have been excellent partners in selling B&H Publishing’s books and Bibles,” Vineyard said. “If the acquisition goes as planned, we’ll have 17 more stores for all of LifeWay’s Bible studies, church supplies and other resources.”

Along with LifeWay stores, B&H Publishing Group is owned by Nashville-based LifeWay Christian Resources.

“This will be good for both parties involved,” said Bill Nielsen, former COO of Berean and former top executive at LifeWay. “Over the last 16 months, Berean has shown strong improvement in virtually every business metric, and with the backing of LifeWay, their stores will only do better.”

Vineyard said the acquisition was to close in September, and LifeWay staff were to begin immediately transitioning the Berean locations to LifeWay Christian Stores.

“Our goal is to be a one-source location with Christian resources for churches and individuals as we strive to fulfill our vision of providing biblical solutions for life,” Vineyard said.

This is the latest in a series of acquisitions for LifeWay. In separate transactions this year, the Southern Baptist chain acquired Living Word Christian Bookstore in Sarasota, Fla., Johnsen & Taylor Bookstore in Wheaton, Ill., and The Salt Shaker Bookstore and Café in Wilmington, N.C. The company also announced plans to open a new store in Barboursville, W.Va., this fall.

Former owners of these stores seem hopeful about the direction LifeWay will be able to take their ministries.

LifeWay’s “core values and mission align with what we desire for Johnsen & Taylor, and we are excited to see this ministry continue to flourish within the LifeWay group,” said officials of Tyndale House Publishers, who partnered with South Africa-based Christian Publishing Co. to found the store in 2010. “We feel the community will be better served by being part of a larger Christian retail organization that is focused on retail and has a clear mission of bringing gospel-centered resources to local communities.” —Burns and Tiansay

Billy Graham’s ‘unprecedented’ home-based campaign expected to draw consumers to Christian retail

Billy Graham is one of the most beloved, recognized figures in the United States and across the world. His faith is outspoken, his evangelistic rallies enthusiastically attended, his advice sought by U.S. presidents and world leaders.

As his 95th birthday approaches Nov. 7, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) embarks on a continent-wide initiative called My Hope America with Billy Graham. My Hope America is a grass-roots effort to introduce Jesus Christ to people across the U.S. and Canada via a combination of personal relationships and media outreach. The goal is for believers to invite friends, neighbors and family into their homes the week of Nov. 7 and show a specially prepared program featuring Graham.

“People think of Billy Graham preaching in large stadiums to large crowds, but those people are individuals,” said Preston Parrish, vice president of My Hope America with Billy Graham. “My Hope is that strategy continued, but instead of large stadiums, it’s in people’s living rooms.”

My Hope America with Billy Graham is a sweeping campaign that offers training materials for churches and individuals, videos, webcasts and television spots. It promises to bring people into Christian retail stores, thanks to the Oct. 15 release of Graham’s 32nd book, The Reason for My Hope: Salvation (W Publishing Group, $19.99), and the music CD My Hope: Songs Inspired by the Message and Mission of Billy Graham (Sparrow Records/Capital Christian Distribution).

“It’s important for retailers to understand that My Hope America has become an unprecedented grass-roots movement,” said Parrish. “Within the next three months, involvement and awareness about My Hope America will be at a peak. This is a good thing for retailers because in offering products, they’re offering quality, biblically consistent resources of interest to many people.”

The Parable Group, which serves 165 stores across the country, is featuring the My Hope America product line in catalogs through the end of the year, as well as encouraging stores to pull together their own displays of Graham’s books.

For Randy Ross, marketing specialist at the Parable Group, it’s about impacting the lives of people for Christ. 

“I hope people buy Billy’s books because he’s got plenty to say,” Ross said. “How can anyone refuse salvation? Once you answer that question, stores can be part of solidifying the faith journeys of those people who come to faith.”

Ross points to what he calls Graham’s “legacy books,” including Just As I Am: The Autobiography of Billy Graham; Peace With God: The Secret of Happiness; How to Be Born Again; and Nearing Home: Life, Faith, and Finishing Well; along with books such as Billy Graham in Quotes and Billy Graham & Me.

“Here’s a man who has had the ear of presidents, is visible and well-respected and is still above reproach; he’s got a story to tell,” said Ross. “What Billy writes doesn’t run out.”

Ross is also encouraging bookstores to create “Share Your Faith” sections and prepare new-believer products for display after the My Hope America campaign ends in November. Booksellers can include their favorite go-to titles for someone who has just come to faith.

“Anytime you deal with Billy Graham, it’s more than just about Billy, more than just selling a book,” Ross said. “It’s selling his message and making sure that message is intact in consumers’ minds. On its best day, the Today show or Good Morning America doesn’t have the visibility of a Billy Graham campaign.”

Graham has been appreciative of the role Christian retail has played in spreading the message of salvation, according to Larry Ross, spokesman for Graham and president of A. Larry Ross Communications in Carrollton, Texas.

“Though Mr. Graham completed his public preaching ministry in 2005, Christian retail stores have provided a consistent and effective channel for him to continue to deliver his message through books, which stands as an ongoing ‘crusade between the covers,’ ” Ross of A. Larry Ross said. 

Because BGEA is based in North Carolina, some may be surprised to learn that the United States is not the first country to participate in the My Hope campaign. In fact, 57 countries have participated in My Hope since its beginning in 2002. What began in Central America has spread across the world, most recently via campaigns in Europe, including Spain and Portugal.

“We saw an incredible harvest,” said Parrish of My Hope. “Evangelical churches are a small minority, but this was an unprecedented harvest. A man gave us a check from believers in Spain to help fund a My Hope campaign in America. It was the first financial gift to My Hope in the U.S.”

So far, more than 300,000 churches have been involved in training and My Hope events; more than 4 million Christians have opened their homes; and there have been recorded decisions for Christ from more than 10 million people.

“We’re astounded by what God has done,” said Parrish. “This shows how God uses individual Christians, praying for and reaching out in love to people they know using a Billy Graham presentation.”

In the 19 months of planning for the North American campaign, more than 20,000 churches have registered to participate. In August, those churches estimated that 125,000 people would open their homes in the campaign.

Parrish of My Hope America is excited about the parallel release of The Reason for My Hope: Salvation and the My Hope music CD, which features a dozen new recordings by Christian recording artists such as Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith, Matthew West and TobyMac.

“It’s a great gift that at almost 95 years old, Dr. Graham is able to reflect and write about the message he’s been preaching his entire ministry,” said Parrish. “At 95, Dr. Graham believes the central message of God is the exact same thing he’s preached his entire life.”

Christian retail stores can help the My Hope America campaign.

“By continuing to carry Mr. Graham’s books, new generations that never heard him preach are being influenced by the same message he faithfully delivered in arenas and stadiums for more than six decades and is still relevant today,” Larry Ross said.

For more information on the campaign, visit www.myhopewithbillygraham.org or call 877-7MY-HOPE (769-4673).

Christ-centered message remains central focus for suppliers

Mary Manz Simon’s 19th annual children’s product workshop at ICRS offered retailers ideas, insights and analysis on today’s wide-ranging market for kids. Clearly the most popular workshop at the show—not only for Simon’s expertise, but also because of the sponsored giveaways—she reported 226 in attendance with 171 retailers present at the 90-minute session.

“We don’t change the message. We don’t change the content. We shift delivery systems to match consumer needs,” said Simon to the standing-room-only crowd.

Celebrity guests included three best-selling authors—Colleen Coble, Randy Alcorn and Max Lucado—all who have down-aged into the children’s, tween and Young Adult markets.

As Coble greeted retailers and offered insight on her “Rock Harbor” series for young adventurers from Thomas Nelson, she said juvenile fiction is making its mark. 

Alcorn, a New York Times best-selling author, talked about his Kingstone Comics graphic novel, Eternity, targeted for boys ages 10 to 14. In the project, which is available now, Jesus’ story of the rich man and Lazarus is re-told in illustrated format and communicates the importance of preparing for eternity. 

Lucado spoke about his September release, Itsy Bitsy Christmas, from Thomas Nelson and how it demonstrates God’s love to kids.

Picture books are making a huge resurgence with younger readers, Simon reported. Ideals Children’s Books’ Can’t-Wait Willow is the first title in the “Shine Bright Kids” series. Written by Christy Ziglar and illustrated by Luanne Marten, the book is one of many forthcoming titles indicative of the trend.

 Introducing products that tie into public education’s “Common Core” initiative is another major trend. The initiative has been adopted in 25 states and in Washington D.C., setting academic benchmarks for students starting in the 2014-2015 school year. With an increased emphasis on nonfiction, the goal of Common Core is to teach students to think. Simon underscored that aligning product lines with this program offers significant potential for Christian market publishers and retailers. 

“Common Core will be written into all catalog copy where it makes sense,” said Chriscynethia Floyd, vice president of trade marketing with HarperCollins Christian Publishing. 

The middle grade market also is showing great potential. Kids are reading—and reading a lot—and are termed “omnivorous media consumers,” Floyd said.

“The potential is driven, in part, by the ‘novel in cartoon’ genre, popularized by the general market release Diary of a Wimpy Kid,” she said. “Immediate evidence of the halo effect is shown in all the visual elements dropped into middle grade fiction, including emails, diary entries, sketches and illustrations. Two emerging themes in middle grade literature are historical fiction and contemporary realism.”

“In the shadow of ‘Harry Potter’ and ‘Twilight,’ we’ve seen lots of apocalyptic, fantasy, science fiction and dystopian titles,” she added. “Even if middle graders and junior high readers have excellent vocabulary, they vary in world knowledge and maturity. When you’re helping customers select product, match readers to the content.”

Retailers are recognizing the significance of these trends and their impact.

“After hearing from Baker Book House at last year’s workshop, Delayna [Wilkerson] decided to try a story time,” Simon said of the Salt Cellar store in Lawton, Okla. In advance, the store emailed a coupon for 20% off any non-sale item, so they could track sales. Then, they put up a few decorations and bought pre-packaged animal crackers to go with the Noah’s ark theme. The store put the event on Facebook, which Delayna said has generated a lot of interest and buzz.”

Noting key market trends, Amick Byram, president of Oodles World and his team showcased some of their company’s most popular products, including a Sweet Dreams Lullaby CD and Companion Book (ages 0 to 4), the Make-A-Match Card Game (2 to 11) and a His Armor Titanium Sport Necklace (4 to 16). Another family-friendly product the company introduced is the 22-ounce FotoFrame Water Bottle. 

“Our primary goal is to reinforce the Word of God in young lives, because we need that desperately,” Byram said. 

Scripture Candy highlighted The Jelly Bean Prayer Cross, a colorful metal tin full of jelly beans, which has color-coded messages on the back. The company was one of more than 20 suppliers and publishers that gave retailers free product samples at the workshop.

On the show floor, other child-friendly products—jewelry, plush, games, toys and other novelty items—made a strong debut. 

DaySpring is adding to its “U-NEEKS” line for tweens. New plush, stickers, wearable stickers, journals, notepads, gift bags, cups, coupon books and message bracelets will be available Dec. 20. 

Based on Ps. 138:14, “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made,” the line comprising bright-eyed colorful designs was created and developed by DaySpring insiders Jon Huckeby and Justin Eddy, who are designers/illustrators, and Bob Perryman in marketing. 

Among the newest arrivals in jewelry, Bob Siemon Designs’ “Be Joyful” necklaces for girls were selling well. The designs feature a positive message combined with scripture. Equally popular and as colorful are the children’s cord bracelets that come in a variety of colors and designs. 

 “I think if you can encourage one child to ‘be sweet,’ ‘be kind,’ or ‘be wise,’ through a thought or a piece of jewelry like this then you’ve helped one person,” said Siemon. “For me, that’s what it is always about.”

Unique products, updated display options draw stores

P. Graham Dunn, Divinity Boutique and Carpentree were among the gift vendors who reported experiencing a strong show at ICRS. 

Dunn’s laser personalization program will have touchscreen software starting in January 2014. As a result, there has been “a strong increase in the interest,” said Anthony Burdette, marketing manager. 

The new software “takes a lot of the work off of the store employee and [puts it] more in the hands of the consumer, and it’s pretty fun to do as well,” he said.

Burdette said retailers expressed the strongest interest in the company’s puzzle piece art.

“Since the summer, we have introduced probably 30, 40 more different colors and varieties, and those have just been selling like crazy for us, and we think stores are going to do the same,” he said.

Considering its location in Ohio’s Amish country, Dunn has entered a new product category, introducing Amish-themed cards, postcards and calendars.

“Calendars can actually be customized to the store so you can get your store name added to the back of the calendar,” Burdette said.

Dunn also was honored by Parable Group with the Parable Vendor Partner of the Year award, presented at ICRS.

Retailers visiting Divinity Boutique’s booth benefited from the company’s new electronic mobile order entry system. Used for the first time at ICRS, the mobile system allowed the company to “scan in orders to an iPad, electronically transfer orders to our office in Ohio and get them processed within days of the show,” said Keith Schwartz, president of Nicole Brayden Gifts and Divinity Boutique. 

The system enabled Divinity to show pictures of products, descriptions, related items, group products as collections, email products that a customer wanted to look at, but was not ready to order, as well as write and ship orders.

Carpentree was pleased to introduce its new “The Bible” miniseries product line.

“Three items are tabletop and also come ready to hang, plus our two wall décor items make a great statement and were very well received at ICRS this year,” National Sales Manager Jordan Hobson said. 

The company also held a post-ICRS drawing for $500 worth of free product. The winning store had the option to select gifts and décor items from Carpentree’s line of framed art decor and gift products.

Store owner Rodney Mackrill of Divine Truth Christian Store in LaVista, Neb., was the recipient of the free product. 

“We appreciate all those who placed orders just before and during the ICRS show this year,” said General Manager Dan Hobson. “Due to the contest, we were able to get in great pre-show orders, resulting in even faster ship times for our ICRS customers.”

NOTW’s CEO Aurelio Barreto highlighted his company’s onesies and rompers for little ones, as well as a new product for tweens, which sees the company partnering with DaySpring. 

New U-Neeks T-shirts can be merchandised alongside the DaySpring cards highlighting characters that show kids they are uniquely created by God.

“That’s a market that nobody’s been addressing, so that is ripe for the harvest,” Barreto said of the tween gift market.

Jayme Brandt of apparel company Gardenfire introduced contemporary economical wall art, including box prints, at ICRS. Brandt has signed every piece with his name, and all are handmade.

The company also brought along equipment to demonstrate T-shirt screen-printing and educate its customers. Gardenfire also launched new apparel designs, including the Dem Holman women’s shirt, that are “on trend,” Brandt said.

Despite the show being “very slow” this year, Brandt found significant opportunities in licensing, distribution and custom printing, so he came away feeling positive about the overall experience.

Universal Designs has made it easier for retailers to stock and organize its product, including its core “Pass It On” cards and lines of bookmarks as well as auto decals, on its new product tower.

Bobbi Baugh, president of the Central Florida-based company, said the tower makes it simple for stores to continually reload Universal Designs’ product.

“We really knew that we needed some updating and refreshing of the look and the color schemes, so this is based on really popular black and granite patterns and very well-received,” Baugh said.

The configuration has also changed, meaning stores don’t have to commit to certain products “for life,” she added.

“Before we had really designed our displays to hold a specific product mix, and I think retailers know what’s best for them, so if you have a chance to change and find the thing that suits them best, that’s just all good,” she said.

The company also now has a bit more emphasis on auto products and has come up with its own version of stick people decals that are in fashion for family vehicle windows.

Debut Avenue featured products ranging from devotional items (Faith Box International) to games (Gotta Have Games). Some products were simply “family-friendly” such as snowball fun from the Snowtime Anytime! company.

A Debut Avenue exhibitor, Divine Image Cosmetics won the CBA Impact Award for best first-time exhibitor, which commended the company for its overall presentation, branding and messaging.

Activity for companies like Pampeana and Baskets of Cambodia at the Fair Trade in Action pavilion was quiet this year, perhaps due in part to its placement toward the back of the show floor.