Christian Trade Association International (CTAI) is gearing up for Marketsquare Europe, to be held Oct. 4-5 in Budapest, Hungary, prior to the Frankfurt Book Fair. The event features a two-day translation rights show and a banquet.

Paul Abspoel, publisher at Ark Media in Amsterdam, Netherlands, will speak on his journey in publishing and discuss “How to Reinvent Yourself,” “Network or Die” and “From Christian Publishing to Christian Power House.” Els de Jong-van Gurp, director of BCB in the Netherlands, will lead a session on how publishers and booksellers can use social media to increase sales.

Mark Schoenwald has been appointed president and CEO of HarperCollins’ new division, comprised of Zondervan and the newly acquired Thomas Nelson. Scott Macdonald will leave his position as president and CEO of Zondervan and will serve in an advisory role.

Formerly president and CEO of Thomas Nelson, Schoenwald will report to Brian Murray, president and CEO of HarperCollins Publishers Worldwide, and will serve on the HarperCollins executive committee.

Abingdon Press has combined fiction with Bible study in a new line for women, “The Faith and Fiction Bible Study” series, launching next month.

The first titles of the series—which uses novels as a backdrop for exploring biblical themes—will include studies from authors Melody Carlson and Barbara Cameron. Each study runs six to eight weeks and includes a participant book for group members ($14.99), a leader guide ($12.99) and a DVD featuring interviews with the author ($39.99). 

New Life Christian Stores owners Jim and Bonnie Whitaker are retiring after more than 23 years of serving Central Virginia.

“We feel God has something else He wants us to do,” they said in a store Facebook post. “With growing competition and a weak economy, we do not believe it is His will for us to struggle to make ends meet. Therefore, we will be closing New Life Christian Store the end of August. Our sons, Stuart and Todd, are seeking other employment, and any references will be greatly appreciated. We covet your prayers as we make this transition and seek God's plan for each member of our family.”

The Story and The Story: Teen Edition occupy two spots in the Bible best-sellers from the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA), with publisher Zondervan dominating this week’s list. The list from ECPA tracks sales for the week ending July 21, according to Pubtrack Christian data.

The Top 20 General best-sellers are: 1. Jesus Calling, Sarah Young, hardcover (Thomas Nelson); 2. Not a Fan, Kyle Idleman (Zondervan); 3. Boundaries, Henry Cloud, John Townsend (Zondervan); 4. Jesus Calling, Young, deluxe (Thomas Nelson); 5. Jesus Calling, Young, large print deluxe (Thomas Nelson); 6. The Harbinger, Jonathan Cahn (FrontLine/Charisma House Book Group); 7. Coming Home, Karen Kingsbury (Zondervan); 8. Heaven Is for Real, Todd Burpo (Thomas Nelson); 9. KJV Standard Lesson Commentary, 2012-2013, softcover (Standard Publishing); 10. You Are Made for More!, Lisa Osteen Comes (FaithWords); 11. The 5 Love Languages, Gary Chapman (Northfield Publishing); 12. The Struggle, “Kentucky Brothers,” No. 3, Wanda E. Brunstetter (Barbour Publishing); 13. One Thousand Gifts, Ann Voskamp (Zondervan); 14. Battlefield of the Mind, Joyce Meyer (FaithWords); 15. Crazy Love, Francis Chan (David C Cook); 16. Implosion, Joel C. Rosenberg (Tyndale); 17. Bonhoeffer, Eric Metaxas (Thomas Nelson); 18. To Heaven and Back, Dr. Mary C. Neal (WaterBrook Press); 19. NIVStandard Lesson Commentary, 2012-2013, large print softcover (Standard Publishing); and 20. The Circle Maker, Mark Batterson (Zondervan).

After 13 years together, award-winning, Canadian Christian rock group Downhere will disband after its fall tour, the band has announced on its Web site.

"It is with many memories and deep feelings that we relay to you the decision we have made over the course of the last year," the posting said. "Jan. 1, 2013 will mark the end of our traveling ministry for the foreseeable future. It has become very clear to us that this chapter of our journey, initiated by God, is drawing to a close.

"While we mourn the end of this season, we also celebrate over a decade of ministry," the group added. "It has been hard work and our families have paid a big price. The friends, songs, experiences and lives changed as a result of hearing the truth of God's love has sustained us through many years and miles."

On the Centricity Record lable, Downhere won the Contemporary Christian/Gospel Album of the Year for Ending Is Beginning in 2009 and Wide-Eyed and Mystified in 2007 during the Juno Awards, Canada's equivalent to the GRAMMY Awards. The band won its first Juno Award for Best Gospel Album in 2002 for its self-titled debut CD.

Comprised of Marc Martel, Jason Germain, Jeremy Thiessen and Glenn Lavender, Downhere has also won several awards during the annual GMA Covenant Awards, the pinnacle event of the former Gospel Music Association Canada Week. Downhere's final album was On the Altar of Love, which released in 2011.

Click here for more information on Downhere's upcoming fall tour. 

After parents cut back their spending last year, back-to-school purchasing is expected to grow again this year, according to the National Retail Federation (NRF).

Based on the group's 2012 Back-to-School spending survey conducted by BIGinsight, the average person with children in grades K-12 will spend $688.62, up from $603.63 last year. Total spending is expected to reach $30.3 billion. Combined K-12 and college spending will nearly $84 billion, with back-to-school spending as the second-biggest consumer spending event for retailers behind the winter holidays.

"We fully expect retailers to be aggressive with their promotions both in-store and online, keeping an eye on inventory levels as families look to spread out their shopping throughout the entire summer," said NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay.

Parents will spend the most on clothing, accessories and electronics this summer. Realistic about the cost of items for the school year, parents estimate they will spend an average of $246.10 on clothes and $217.88 on electronics. Nearly six in 10 (59.6%) will invest in some sort of electronic device, a sharp increase from the 51.9% who planned to do so last year. More parents than ever before plan to shop online, paying special attention to free-shipping deals, NRF said.

Stainless steel lunchboxes, glitzy accessories, superhero notebooks and other school supplies, and iPads are among popular back-to-school trends, according to Yahoo! Shine. A Harris Interactive survey conducted for Ebates.com in June revealed that 42% of young people polled said what they really wanted was a tablet computer or a new smartphone.

For girls, skinny jeans and ballerina flats are popular. For boys, retailers are counting on bright colors and classic prints, Yahoo! Shine said.