Growing attendance a ‘real achievement’ in face of recession

ENGLAND

Despite the recession, British traders were buoyant about the new International Christian Resources Exhibition (ICRE), affectionately dubbed “the ideal church show” in tribute to the country’s long-established Ideals Homes Show.

More than 400 exhibitors took part in the event at Sandown Park, Esher, May 11-14. Their displays—from Elvis Presley’s Bible to a drink dispenser that literally produces water from thin air—attracted almost 13,000. That was an increase on the 2009 show, which drew 12,433 across the four days.

Opening the event was Elder Fu Xianwei, chairman of the National Committee of the Three-Self Patriotic Movement of the Protestant Churches in China. Amid his country’s booming economy, “there are still many poor people who need Bibles,” Xianwei said. Bible Society gave a special presentation to promote its ongoing work in the country.

ICRE included a Retailers’ Day for trade customers and saw more than 3,300 people attend seminars--another increase from the 2009 event. Topical issues explored by a range of experts included supporting people who have been sexually abused and helping those with dementia.

With the 2012 London Olympics in mind, the organizers had set up CRE’s first ever “sports zone.” Visitors could view a range of sports ministries like More Than Gold, Christian Surfers and 2K Plus International Sports Media.

The addition of “International” to the event’s name marked it out from previous years’ regional CREs at Telford and Peterborough, and also reflected a multinational flavor, with participants from as far away as Slovenia, Poland and the U.S.

Elvis’ Bible was part of a display by London-based Museum of the Book, which uses personal Bibles of historical figures—like ’60s gangster Reggie Kray and hangman Albert Pierrepoint—to convey the gospel.

“We always look forward to CRE,” said Steve Legg, publisher of the British men’s magazine Sorted. “This year was the busiest ever—and it was great to meet up with new customers and lots of old friends.”

The magazine revealed details of a survey with Christian Vision for Men (CVM). It found that although most men had visited a church in the past two years—mainly for weddings and funerals—many would feel more comfortable visiting a ladies’ lingerie shop. Sorted and CVM are helping the wider church with efforts to reach out to men.

The event was “the best we’ve ever attended,” said Mary Fleeson, artist with Lindisfarne Scriptorium, the popular art shop and gallery based on Holy Island, Northumbria. “We gained many new customers, secured several trade orders—and enjoyed meeting up with repeat visitors.

‘The atmosphere buzzed for much of the time,” she added. “There were few lulls in the main hall. Two fellow exhibitors who attend primarily to advertise also said their leads were of a better quality than those at recent trade fairs.”

Fleeson and her husband, Mark, were at ICRE to launch a series of fair-trade church banners, produced in conjunction with two other organizations working in the Philippines.

Echoing his “happy exhibitors,” event director Steve Briars said: “In the face of a major recession, many secular exhibitions have dramatically reduced in size or ceased to exist. For CRE to have grown over the past three years is a real achievement.”

ICRE Award winners included Christian Book of the Year: The Vicar of Baghdad by Andrew White (Monarch Books) and Reference Book of the Year: The World of the Bible by John Drane (Lion Hudson).

Threatened stores refocus on outreach; retailers and suppliers rally ‘to provide a Christian presence’

UNITED KINGDOM

A new vision for Christian retail in the country is emerging in the wake of a major change that some feared could have sunk large parts of the industry.

More than 20 bookstores that seemed to be heading for closure have been resurrected as part of a new model, while retailers and suppliers have begun to forge closer links for the future.

Living Oasis centers that aim to combine selling of Christian resources with local community outreach have taken the place of the former Wesley Owen stores closed when the chain—the largest in the U.K.—was sold off by parent company IBS-STL at the end of last year.

The initiative—“to provide a Christian presence on our high streets”—is being funded by charity Nationwide Christian Trust (NCT). Rev. Andy Twilley—the group’s director of Christian life and ministry, who is helping lead Oasis—said that there had been “wholehearted support and excitement about the vision,” from local churches.

Adrian Plass, one of the U.K.’s leading Christian authors, was on hand to cut the ribbon for the opening of the first new Oasis store, in Harrogate, England. Local civic and church leaders have taken part in dedication ceremonies at other locations from Inverness, Scotland, in the north to Worthing on England’s south coast.

Re-opening the stores in their old locations is in many cases an interim measure, with plans to move to larger premises that can accommodate coffee bars and meeting places for people in the area. “We believe that the financial viability of the shops requires such a move, and so we are actively looking for new premises in many of the areas,” said Twilley. “These are both larger in size and more centrally located, in order to be positioned where more folk are shopping.”

The outlets looked to be lost when Wesley Owen went on the block along with IBS-STL’s distribution and publishing divisions. CLC International (U.K.) and Australia’s Koorong chain bought a total of 16 prime store locations between them, leaving 26 others set for closure before NCT stepped in.

Also running the U.K.’s main distribution service, the IBS-STL sale had wider implications for the country’s estimated 500 stores, prompting an industry summit in January that saw the launch of Christian Resources Together (CRT).

Founded to increase cooperation and partnerships, the new body hosted a two-day retreat in May attended by more than 170 retailer and supplier representatives. “Stronger Together-Weaker Apart” featured time for fellowship and prayer, supplier presentations and workshops on effective buying and bookstore management.

Ian Metcalfe, publisher of Bibles and digital for Hodder & Stoughton, said that there was “a real buzz and camaraderie” at the event. “Let’s hope it’s the start of a good time for collaboration and meaningful partnership across our trade,” he added.

Joy McIlroy, manager of Ashburnham Bookshop at Ashburnham Place conference center in East Sussex, organizer of a national Day of Prayer for the industry, said that there was “a buzz and an energy about the place that had been seriously lacking in our industry in recent months.”

Many people had arrived disillusioned and fearful, she said, but left “feeling refreshed, enthused, inspired and hopeful. We all knew in our heads that we needed to be stronger together, but I believe we now truly know in our hearts how to do it.”

CRT coordinator Steve Briars said that the business climate remained “tough,” but there was “a new sense of optimism.” Clem Jackson, editor of the U.K. publication, Christian Marketplace, agreed, “though no one underestimates the size of the challenge before us,” he said. “It isn’t going to be easy, but at least there is more energy around.”

The retreat also saw the presentation of the CRT Awards, with Lion Hudson named Publisher. Other awards included: Small Retailer: Christian Books in Dunstable, Bedfordshire. Large Retailer: GLO Bookshop in Motherwell, Scotland, and Faith Mission Bookshop in Portadown, Northern Ireland. Card and Gift Supplier: Teal Press.

Spanish translation of ‘Love Dare’ wins two trophies, including Harold Kregel Book of the Year

EXPOLIT

B&H Publishing Group dominated the Spanish Evangelical Products Association (SEPA) Awards at the 18th annual Expolit convention in Miami, winning six trophies at the May 16 event.

Desafío del amor, the Spanish translation of The Love Dare by Fireproof movie-making brothers Stephen and Alex Kendrick (published in English by B&H Books in 2008), won the Harold Kregel 2009 Book of the Year award for “most inspiring and impactful book.”

With sales of more than 300,000 copies, Desafío del amor was also named Best Nonfiction Book and took a Gold Award for lifetime sales of at least 100,000 copies. B&H Publishing Group also won the best catalog, annotated Bible and reference book categories.

Editorial Unilit won three awards, including Publisher of the Year and tying for Best Original Spanish Work in 2009 for Los 30 horrores que cometen los hombres y que toda mujer debe saber (the 30 awful mistakes men commit that every woman should know) by Norma Pantojas. Editorial Unilit also garnered a Silver Award—lifetime sales of more than 50,000 copies—for Stormie Omartian’s El poder de la esposa que ora (The Power of a Praying Wife, published in English by Harvest House Publishers in 2007).

Editorial Vida, Zondervan’s Spanish imprint, was recognized for Best Original Spanish Work in 2009 for Destinado al exito (destined for success) by Argentine evangelist Dante Gebel. Additionally, Vida won the best advertisement and book cover categories in the art and design section.

A major award also went to Mexico’s Distribuidora Ariel for Distributor of the Year.

Editorial Portavoz (Kregel Publications’ Spanish imprint) won the Bible study and fiction categories. The Spanish imprint of Strang Communications—Christian Retailing’s parent company—Casa Creación received a Platinum Award for Joel Osteen’s Su mejor vida ahora (Your Best Life Now, published in English by FaithWords in 2004) and a Gold Award for Joyce Meyer’s Controlando sus emociones (Managing Your Emotions, published in English by FaithWords in 2002).

Sociedades Bíblicas Unidas (United Bible Societies) won two awards for best text Bible and best specialized Bible, while Tyndale Español garnered the best children’s book award for Mi Biblia pijama bilingüe (My Bilingual Pajama Bible).

Jim Cook, vice president of international sales for B&H Publishing Group, said the company’s international division experienced growth in 2009 despite the continuing downturn in the economy. “While most publishers were down 10% to 15%, we had our best year ever,” he said. “Our (Spanish) sales were up 27% from 2008.”

Attendance rises over 2009 for Spanish product world’s annual gathering

EXPOLIT

Despite the continuing global recession, attendance was up and attendees were upbeat about the 18th annual Expolit conference—held May 13- 18 in Miami, organizers said.

Although final attendance figures were not available at press time, registrations for the largest trade fair in the U.S. for the Spanish-language Christian literature and music world—which was also open to the general public—were up about 30% from last year, according to Expolit Vice President and Director Marie Tamayo.

Held at the Doubletree Miami Mart/Airport Hotel and Exhibition Center, Expolit featured several new events, including One World Youth Challenge 2010—”an entire day dedicated to youth,” Tamayo said.

The increase in attendance—which included both domestic and international conventioneers—was “spurred by a strong emphasis on youth, family and media events (along) with a wide variety of leading musicians and speakers such as Luis Palau and Kirk Cameron,” she said.

“This year we had specialized tracks,” Tamayo added. “The youth (focus) was more than well received. … A spirit of unity was a comment I received over and over at Expolit.”

Spanish Evangelical Products Association (SEPA) Executive Director and Editorial Unilit President David Ecklebarger said that “all the way around there was good enthusiasm on the part of the exhibitors.”

“The pulse right now is one of guarded optimism,” Ecklebarger added. “The industry is starting to turn the corner. There are a number of bookstores that were running level rather than losing ground. But I think the Spanish (product) industry has sort of bottomed out.”

He said that there was “a more positive feeling” at Expolit from the 2009 event. “Last year there was so much uncertainty about the future,” Ecklebarger added. “But this year there is a feeling of more confidence. … There was a sense of optimism on the part of the booksellers that things have either leveled off or are getting better.”

Some Spanish-language publishers reported growth in 2009.

“We had our best year so far, and 2010 is a special year with our 40th anniversary,” said Tito Mantilla, publisher of Editorial Portavoz (Kregel Publications’ Spanish imprint) who was elected SEPA president at Expolit.

Publishers streamline operations, seek to broaden reach

Zondervan has laid off 30 employees as part of “consolidation of some publishing units.” The Grand Rapids, Mich., publisher—which still has 374 employees—said it was streamlining operations, but was also hiring people for its digital and multimedia operations.

Meanwhile, Hachette Book Group (HBG) USA recently announced changes to its Nashville-based FaithWords and Center Street, intended to help broaden the reach of the two imprints.

“We’ve developed a comprehensive strategic plan, which includes consolidation of some publishing units, streamlining of sales and operations and, unfortunately, the elimination of about 30 positions companywide,” Zondervan spokesperson Tara Powers said.

“While streamlining our operations is necessary in the context of both our business mandate and our mission to reach more people for Christ, it makes these changes no less difficult.”

Powers said the employees who were let go mid-April were given severance packages. Despite the layoffs, the company’s Web site listed 18 job openings—15 positions in the Grand Rapids headquarters and three in Zondervan’s Seattle office.

“We will be looking to add people who have digital and multimedia experience as that will be an important area as the demand for e-books and digital formats continues to grow,” Powers added.

Elsewhere, Rolf Zettersten—HBG senior vice president and publisher of FaithWords and Center Street—said new positions would be created, and Center Street’s staff would be moved to the parent company’s New York City office, where they will have more opportunity to work directly with literary agents and media.

Effective May 3, the changes included: moving all advertising and promotion responsibilities for both imprints to the New York office; boosting online promotions and presence with a new, New York-based staffer for FaithWords and Center Street; hiring a marketing manager in New York; and creating a three-person Center Street office in New York, comprised of an editor, a publicist and an assistant.

Since the launch of the Nashville office nearly 10 years ago, FaithWords and Center Street have sold more than 51 million books. The imprints have attracted best-selling authors such as Joyce Meyer, Joel Osteen, Karen Kingsbury, Ted Dekker and John Maxwell.

HBG USA had double-digit sales growth last year, according to financial reports recently released by its parent company, French media conglomerate Lagardère.

Hachette’s total earnings before interest and taxes in 2009 increased 24% to approximately $455 million, company officials said. Besides the success of Stephenie Meyer’s “Twilight” saga, several other titles—including William P. Young’s The Shack—were cited in contributing to the growth.

Publishers create sports-themed materials for major outreach

SOUTH AFRICA

The World Cup soccer finals have prompted a big Christian literature distribution effort from publishers looking to make the most of interest in the sport with the biggest global following.

Tens of thousands of Bibles and soccer-related books and tracts are due to be given away free at events linked to the June 11-July 11 competition.

In addition, Zondervan has published an international edition of Toward the Goal: The Kaká Story, which profiles a member of the Brazilian national team who is an outspoken Christian and has been honored as World Player of the Year.

Among those participating in the World Cup effort is U.S.-based evangelist and author Ray Comfort, whose Living Waters ministry has sent more than 100,000 special tracts featuring caricatures of eight leading players on “one billion dollar” bills.

The evangelistic collectibles have been printed in English, French, German and Portuguese and will be handed out by teams from Luke 9:23 Evangelism in cities across South Africa.

Another U.S.-based ministry has sent around half a million copies of a soccer-related publication, too. Onehope, which has given away 600 million copies of its Book of Hope for children in the last 23 years, has produced Champions.

“We have other books that we hand out on a daily basis, but we wanted to make something relevant for this particular event,” said South African coordinator Leah Fuller.

Featuring testimonies of Christian soccer players, skills training and scripture, the new title is to be passed out by partner ministries at soccer clinics and other events. The book is also to be distributed through World Cup-related outreaches in other parts of Africa and Latin America.

In South Africa, Champions is being given away along with a pocket guide to the tournament created by Hellenic Ministries as is Born to Play, a soccer edition of an evangelistic book from Ambassadors in Sport.

Many of the materials are to be used as part of The Ultimate Goal (TUG), an initiative by the South African Sport Coalition that has been recruiting churches to host special events—including live screening of games. TUG coordinator Ben Marais said that more than 100 international teams were expected to travel to South Africa to help with the effort.

Biblica has also been supporting World Cup initiatives by providing Scriptures for distribution. The global Bible publishing ministry teamed up with Ubabalo, an African soccer ministry that incorporates biblical values with soccer training, games and tournaments.

“Africans, especially South Africans, are very excited about the World Cup,” said Biblica communications specialist Lynn Waalkes. “In at least one province in South Africa, the kids are getting extra school holidays. That gives us an opportunity to hold Bible clubs and work with Ubabalo, providing soccer balls and training materials translated into local languages. It’s a great, creative way to bring the gospel to children and teens, especially in areas of poverty and high crime.”

A young adult title written by Jeremy V. Jones and published in May, Toward the Goal tells how Kaká rose through the ranks and overcame a potentially crippling injury to become one of the game’s greatest players.

“We hope this book will serve as an inspiration to young readers and give them the courage to dream big,” said Annette Bourland, senior vice president and publisher of Zonderkidz. “This story underscores how faith can carry us through even when the odds seem to be against us in life.”

In Italy, national team member Nicola Legrottaglie recently visited the CLC Christian bookstore in Italy to sign copies of his second book, Cento volte tanto: Con la fede vivo meglio (A hundred times as much: I live better through faith), about his life and Christian faith.

Best-selling ‘Fireproof’ and ‘Love Dare’ creators fan the flames of next project

Christian retailers are to get a sneak peek at what many hope could repeat their biggest success of recent times.

Early footage from Courageous, the follow-up movie from the makers of surprise hit Fireproof, is to be screened at the International Christian Retail Show in St. Louis, June 27-30—though the film will not be released until next year.

The early exposure, which has also included hosting Christian retail and ministry leaders on location, is intended to build support for a major church campaign around the movie’s theme of fatherhood.

The top independent movie of 2008, volunteer-made Fireproof and its spin-off books, the New York Times best-selling The Love Dare and Love Dare Day by Day, were credited with saving countless marriages’ and helping some stores survive the recession. DVD sales of the Christian retail special edition of the film have reached almost 1 million.

Filming on Courageous was due to have wrapped recently in Albany, Ga., where church-based Sherwood Pictures organized all-expenses-paid set visits by media, retail and ministry representatives.

“We are making movies with the church and for the church, and it is important for us that we partner with leaders in the Christian community who have a passion for what we are doing, who believe in the message and that will be able to use Courageous in helping them minister to families,” said producer Stephen Kendrick, who scripted the new film with his brother, Alex, who also directs and stars.

The pair is also to write a book about the film’s theme of fatherhood, though it will not be tied in directly to the film in the same way that their The Love Dare, a plot device in Fireproof, was.

Like The Love Dare and its day-by-day devotional companion, the Courageous book will be published by B&H Publishing Group.

The Kendricks’ The Love Dare—in paperback and imitation leather—and their Love Dare Day by Day devotional and wedding edition have sold more than 4 million copies internationally.

B&H Publishing will also bring out a book on a similar fatherhood theme by Michael Catt, senior pastor at the Kendricks’ Sherwood Baptist Church and one of the Sherwood Pictures leaders.

To help build advance interest in Courageous, the makers posted regular reports and prayers requests from the set at the film’s Web site. A Facebook page dedicated to the movie has attracted more than 250,000 fans.

The grass-roots  on-set and online promotional efforts were intended to build on the strong word-of-mouth element that had been a factor in the success of Fireproof and earlier Sherwood films, said Kris Fuhr, vice president of distributor Provident Films.

“We want people to feel invested, like it is something they can put their personal recommendation on,” she said. “Just as Fireproof became a cause around which marriage ministries could rally, so family and fathering ministries are showing a lot of interest in Courageous.”

Centering on a group of law enforcement officers who are dealing with fatherhood challenges in their personal lives, Courageous is the most expensive Sherwood film to date, with double the Fireproof budget of $500,000.

“We are definitely feeling that the stakes are higher,” said Kendrick, noting the growing audience for Sherwood’s films, the greater demands of making an ensemble movie and the step up in production standards for Courageous. “Our accountability for the stewardship of these messages goes up.”

Kendrick said that every aspect of the film was subject to prayer. “We don’t want to spend two years making a movie that is just a good idea. The Lord knows what this generation needs to hear and when they need to hear it.”

While attention turns to Courageous, a third Fireproof tie-in book is due ahead of that film. John Thompson, senior vice president of marketing for B&H, said another release based on The Love Dare from the Kendricks is planned at some stage.

Speaking to on-set visitors, Catt said that Sherwood Pictures’ success had been part of an answer to the church’s longtime prayer that it might touch the world. “But it would be sad to me if all we were known for (was movies),” he added. “Making movies is just a portion of what we do.”

Some of the proceeds from the films have gone towards church ministries, including the development of an 82-acre sports park for use by the local community.

Pledge-drive promotion for Gary Chapman’s ‘universal’ best-seller will ‘help bring in new audiences’

One of Christian retailing’s perennial best-sellers has made its way to DVD almost 20 years after it was first published.

Author and counselor Gary Chapman is captured presenting his teaching on The 5 Love Languages in a 65-minute program released in May by DPTV Media. Retailing for $14.98, it is being distributed to Christian and general market outlets by E1 Entertainment Distribution U.S.

Since it was published in 1992, Chapman’s guide to communication and relationships has sold more than 5.5 million copies and been a fixture on industry best-seller lists. It has also seen five spin-off titles—“Love Languages” editions for children, teens, singles and men and The Heart of the Five Love Languages.

Chapman was filmed presenting his popular message at the studios of Detroit Public Television in Wixom, Mich., where it aired in December 2009. The program is being released nationally on public television during this month’s fund-raising drive.

“Love as a topic is really universal, just like music,” said DPTV Media Label Manager Aimee Longato. “The information in this program is vital for all ages … whether you are a parent, newlywed, a spouse in a 10-, 20-, 30-plus year marriage or dating. When you start to speak your loved ones’ love language, you change the emotional climate of that relationship.”

Longato added that “with the high success of the book, it’s anticipated that this material is strongly needed and a visual offering of the material will help bring in new audiences who would rather hear the material delivered from the author as opposed to reading it.”

Janis Backing, publicity manager at Moody Publishers, said that there would be no promotions tied directly to the DVD, but the company planned to make people aware of the release through social media and at the official Five Love Languages Web site.

Moody had considered producing its own DVD, “but the cost of producing it in high definition and other factors have prevented us from doing so,” she added. “Dr. Chapman was invited by the DPTV group to present the message for their pledge drive in December, and so they decided to record it and create the DVD as a pledge gift along with the book.”

Bodie and Brock Thoene, Frank Peretti sign new contracts with Summerside Press, Howard Books

Three of Christian fiction’s leading names from the last 20 years are on the move for their next new releases.

Husband-and-wife team Bodie and Brock Thoene have signed with Summerside Press for a sequel to their two popular previous “Zion” series, while Frank Peretti has contracted with Howard Books to publish his first solo work since 2005.

The Thoenes’ “The Zion Diaries” revisits the World War II setting of their “Zion Covenant” series and “Zion Chronicles” series, which were published by Tyndale House Publishers.

The first in the new three-title series, The Gathering Storm, will be released in August and tell the story of Loralei Kepler, the daughter of a German resistance leader and school headmaster. The as-yet-untitled second and third books will follow in spring and fall of 2011.

The Thoenes’ partnership with Summerside follows the company’s publishing in May of Love Finds You in Lahaina as part of its “Love Finds You” romance series. Based on the story of Hawaiian princess Kaiulani, the novel had been written years ago, but remained unpublished.

Bodie Thoene said that fans had been asking for another “Zion” series for more than two decades, but she and her husband had felt led by God to first complete their “A.D.” series of Bible-based novels published by Tyndale.

“We discovered a strong mutual interest in pursuing this new and exciting Zion series,” said Summerside President Carlton Garborg. “It was perfect timing, as we were poised on the edge of our next expansion—launching a general, author-driven fiction line. We’re delighted to kick off this Signature Series, which will feature established and up-and-coming authors, with the Thoenes.”

This summer, Summerside is to follow “Love Finds You” with the new “When I Fall in Love” line, built around the titles of famous songs like Love Me Tender and I’ll Be Home for Christmas.

Peretti’s Howard Books title will come out in late 2011 and be his first since 2006’s House (Thomas Nelson), co-written with Ted Dekker, and the first title written solely by Peretti since 2005’s New York Times best-selling Monster (Thomas Nelson).

Peretti is “a natural storyteller and we’re pleased to collaborate with him on delivering this next title to his waiting audience,” said Rebekah Nesbitt, vice president and editor in chief for Howard Books, a Simon & Schuster imprint.

The Thoenes have written more than 50 works of award-winning historical fiction, selling a total of more than 20 million copies. Peretti has more than 12 million books in print.

Holiday shopping habits ‘established through the year,’ notes CBA leader Curtis Riskey

Preparing to make the most of the crucial Christmas shopping season involves more than just ordering key product in plenty of time, according to CBA Executive Director Curtis Riskey.

Stores need to be working hard the rest of the year to ensure that they are at the top of consumers’ mind when the holiday comes round, he said.

“People make decisions on where they buy at Christmas not just on a sale at the end of the year, but also on which stores are their favorites and who they are buying for,” Riskey told Christian Retailing. “These are habits established through the year.

“Store experience continues to be a critical factor for brick-and-mortar stores, particularly Christian stores that currently are not able to engage customers effectively with digital products—something that must be addressed in our industry,” he added.

Riskey was speaking in the wake of CBA’s State of the Industry report for 2010 that found Christian stores reporting an average 2.1% decrease in net holiday sales last Christmas, while the National Retail Federation found all 2009 season retail sales up only 1.1% from the same 2008 period.

Riskey said that the retail sales decline for Christian stores in 2009 compared favorably to the 10.75% drop seen in 2008 and reflected a need for retailers “to continue maximizing customer engagement throughout the year.”

While between 50% and 60% of some stores’ sales occur in the fourth quarter, “there are opportunities throughout the year to merchandise more aggressively and to participate in ministry,” he added.

Stores should be at the forefront of Christmas celebrations, Riskey said. “Store decorations and environment, events, sales and promotions should be aligned with what Christmas is all about: the birth of our Savior.

“Emotional connections to core customers and active Christians will help sustain the loyal relationships already built with them throughout the year, giving them something more important than a cheap gift that could be bought anywhere,” he added.

As CBA plans consumer-awareness programs for the end of the year, “customer engagement” will continue to be important, Riskey said. “This will not only be driven by the transaction but by communication—information that affects what core customers are interested in—and relationships.”

Stores needed to connect with customers “in a more relational way than a transactional way. Meaning, it’s not about the sale but about what happens because of the sale or during the sale. And it’s not about mass communication, it’s about connecting directly with a passionate group or tribe that thinks and feels like you do.”