Christian Art Gifts (CAG) is relaying helpful advice with its “Keep Calm” range of products, from gift books to smartphone covers. 

Featuring the popular “Keep Calm” message, CAG products include an additional phrase urging trust in God or prayer on each design. The main message comes from the history of the British isles. During World War II, the British government commissioned its Ministry of Information to create a number of posters to boost morale, including a design that read, “Keep Calm and Carry On.” Reportedly the Keep Calm poster was never officially seen by the public as it was only to be displayed if Germany invaded Britain, an event that never came to pass.

The Spanish Evangelical Publishers Association (SEPA) has announced its annual summit to be held in Nashville Nov. 18-22. The summit will be held to encourage unity and dialogue in the Spanish Christian literature industry.

B&H Publishing Group and HarperCollins Christian Publishing will host the event and will offer customers a special program Monday and Tuesday. The summit will take place at LifeWay Christian Resources headquarters.

Mark Burnett, Roma Downey join with Fox for new film

Roma Downey and Mark Burnett, producers of the hit History Channel miniseries The Bible, have signed a contract with 20th Century Fox to take the story of Jesus to theaters in 2014. Son of God,  a feature-length film, will use and expand on the sections of the miniseries about the life of Christ, creating a sweeping narrative from His birth through His resurrection.

“While we appreciated the interest from other distributors, Fox was the right choice for us,” Burnett told Variety. “We have crafted a powerful standalone movie that is a completely emotional, uplifting experience for audiences.”

Downey, who will play Jesus’ mother, Mary, starred in CBS’s hit show Touched by an Angel in the 1990s. Burnett, her husband, is an Emmy Award-winning producer of myriad reality TV shows, including as The Voice, Survivor and The Apprentice.

The Bible averaged 15 million viewers in five two-hour parts on TV, and more than 1 million DVD units of the series have been sold to date. According to distributor Fox, it is the highest-selling TV-to-disc title of the past two years, and the highest-selling TV miniseries of all time.

Fox will also handle the home video release of Son of God, whose release date is yet to be determined.

The Christian products market benefited from the DVD release of The Bible as well as companion products, including Carpentree’s line of licensed framed art and FaithWords books and audiobooks such as A Story of God and All of Us by Downey and Burnett and similar titles for Easter and Christmas.

Work of acclaimed author-theologian whose death is marked this month is ‘simply unprecedented’

One of the most influential writers on modern philosophy, theology and apologetics is undoubtedly the late, great C.S. Lewis. Fifty years ago this month, the Oxford don and seminal author died, but the lasting impact of his work is perhaps greater than ever.

“The longer I have been in religious publishing (which is longer than 30 years now), the more I appreciate how unique and how profound Lewis’ influence has been,” said Michael Maudlin, executive editor for HarperOne, publisher of Lewis’ works. “Whether we acknowledge him or not, he is the measure for everyone else of what a public intellectual for Christianity can be and should be.”

Lewis was a pioneer in bringing Christian fiction into the popular consciousness, with his allegorical fantasies in the “The Chronicles of Narnia” series, science fiction “Space Trilogy” and his timeless take on spiritual warfare, The Screwtape Letters.

“Lewis crafted wonderful works of fiction before Beverly Lewis and Frank Peretti made that genre acceptable to the Christian market,” said Rick Lewis (no relation to either author), manager of Logos Bookstore of Dallas.

Though many best-selling books are released into the Christian marketplace every year, few authors have stood the test of time as well as Lewis.

“I want a frontlist title that will become a strong backlist title,” Logos’ Lewis said. “Those do not seem to come along as often as they used to.”

“C.S. Lewis is a great example of an author that holds enduring value, one whose works speak to the head and to the heart.” Lewis added.

Logos’ Lewis has seen the theologian’s books have profound effects on readers of all ages and at all stages of their spiritual journeys. From Mere Christianity playing a key role in a conversion that played out in his store to Grief Observed bringing comfort to the bereaved, the longtime retailer’s observations testify to the staying power of Lewis’ writings.

“All this, decades after the pen was laid aside,” he said after rattling off a litany of examples in which C.S. Lewis’ works have played a key role in the lives of readers.

Sue Smith, CBA chairman and store manager of Baker Book House in Grand Rapids, Mich., agrees.

“C.S. Lewis holds a cornerstone on Christian literature,” Smith said. “His writings continue to be sought after for most who take their personal faith journey seriously, and they hold consistent demand with most stores.”

The British theologian will also be formally recognized in his homeland on the anniversary of his death. He will be inducted into the Poets’ Corner at Westminster Abbey on Nov. 22.

The same day, Lewis will be celebrated at the American Academy of Religion meetings in Baltimore by Maudlin and authors N.T. Wright and Robert MacSwain, who will be reflecting on Lewis’ career.

HarperOne is also commemorating Lewis’ work with a revamped website, CSLewis.com, and publication of a special annotated edition of The Screwtape Letters.

The new edition of Screwtape will include “biographical and literary background information behind the book as well as quotes from Lewis’ other works to help explain and deepen our appreciation for what he is saying in Screwtape,” Maudlin said. “It is a beautiful volume.”

Beyond the spiritual and theological impact of his works, Lewis’ sales continue to be strong. “The Chronicles of Narnia” was brought to a new generation of fans via feature film, while HarperOne’s C.S. Lewis Signature Classics editions have sold nearly 10 million copies since 2001. Mere Christianity, the best-selling book from that series originally published in 1952, has sold more than 150,000 copies in the last 12 months alone—60 years after its original release.

“The idea that someone who passed away 50 years ago is still selling at such a rate is simply unprecedented,” Maudlin said. “His spirit haunts every popular Christian author, and we are all better off because of it.”

Russ Doughten Films closed its doors Sept. 15, according to a company representative.

The news came on the heels of the death of company founder and head, Russ Doughten, at age 86. Doughten died Aug. 19 after a protracted battle with a cardiac illness.

Russ Doughten Films was the flagship studio for the pioneer Christian filmmaker. The production company was behind more than a dozen evangelistic films—including the 1970s’ “Thief in the Night” series shown in many churches and which laid the groundwork for Left Behind and other end-times thrillers.

‘Nobody can afford to procrastinate,’ says company founder

Retail sales will increase this holiday season, according to ShopperTrak, but retailers will have a shorter window in which to earn their share. A shorter holiday season will mean more cutthroat competition as retailers vie for a piece of the consumer spending pie.

The Chicago-based shopper analytics company forecasts a 2.4% increase over last year’s holiday season. However, overall foot traffic is expected to decrease 1.4% compared to last year.

This decrease in shoppers is largely due to the reduced window of time retailers have to capture peak holiday spending this year, as only 25 days lie between Black Friday (Nov. 29) and Christmas this year, compared to 31 days in 2012. Additionally, there are only four full weekends within that period versus five last year.

“Nobody can afford to procrastinate,” said ShopperTrak founder Bill Martin. “Retailers must have their holiday marketing and operations ready to go when November begins, as consumers will be ready to take advantage of those deals.”

Holiday sales and store shopper traffic historically account for about 20% of annual retail activity.

“Although the economy continues to recover slowly, consumers remain cautious about spending and are not ready to splurge,” said Martin. “Even though online buying increases each year, brick-and-mortar sales remain retail’s largest profit opportunity. Retailers who deliver a seamless experience both in-store and at every customer touchpoint have the chance to capitalize and grab their share of wallet when shoppers visit the stores.”

CFI’s customer satisfaction survey shows how important it is to know ‘what drives customers back to the store’

Retailers need improvement in pricing, checkout process and store associates, according to a survey conducted by CFI Group, a customer satisfaction technology and analytics firm. However, the survey did find that retailers’ physical store and online presence were meeting customer expectations.

The ongoing, benchmark study was conducted to gain an understanding of how satisfied retail customers are today—focusing on intent to make repeat purchases, develop an affinity toward a brand and recommend retailers to peers.

“Understanding what drives customers back to the store is critical to a retailer’s business performance,” said Sheri Petras, CEO of CFI Group. “This study provides retailers with an understanding into how to improve their customer satisfaction within the segment they serve and their brand communities.”

The study used the American Customer Satisfaction Index methodology to measure six key elements of the consumer experience: physical store, associates, merchandise, price, checkout and online presence—to identify the top drivers of retail customer satisfaction.

Based on the findings, CFI recommends the following actions for driving positive customer experience and engagement:

The price is right: As the economy comes out of its recession, customers are still price and value conscious. Focusing on the store’s strength as it relates to price—value, quality, sales, etc.—can set a retailer apart from the competition and attract and retain consumers.

Train, train and train your associates: Store associates are a leading driver of customer experience. Creating a pleasant, helpful atmosphere creates a better customer environment and encourages customers to stay longer and purchase more.

Maintain all channels of communication: Millennials prefer passive communication, while baby boomers are more inclined to engage with associates via face-to-face. Customers who can select the manner they choose (email, social media, phone, etc.) to connect with a retailer are far more likely to engage with associates in a meaningful way.

Regularly monitor and measure customer satisfaction: Consistently benchmarking customer satisfaction will allow retailers to compare themselves against competition. Measuring customer experience allows companies to uncover actionable insights to improve performance across every customer touch point.