CLC executive Dave Almack believes strongly in the Christian retail store, but that doesn’t mean business as usual. Almack led a workshop at Unite based on his recently released book for retailers, The Bookstore That Matters (FaithLit Publications).

Now regional director, North America and the Caribbean, Almack is a missionary with CLC. He is so committed to Christian retail he noted that he actually raises his own financial support to be part of its mission and business.

Almack showed participants that it is possible to be financially successful in Christian retail. Through a series of “miracles and mistakes,” he said, his urban Philadelphia store grew from $300,000 in sales to $1.3 million in an extremely competitive environment. One of those miracles was when Kirk Franklin showed up unexpectedly at his store during a midnight release party of his album.

Almack discussed the passion, products and people of Christian retail. He urged Christian retailers to read books. To be a book retailer, it is a “job requirement,” he said, to be a “passionate believer in the power of books to change lives.”

He pointed out that books are “not dead” and said there are “incredible Facebook communities” who are engaged with reading. Christian retailers must tap into these groups of readers.

After visiting a general market store in Maine that seemed to do everything wrong but still “mattered to the community,” Almack asked: “If the Christian bookstore closed, would it really matter at all?”

At another location at Duke Energy Center, industry veteran Michelle Amster and Carpentree Marketing Manager Sherry Morris led a workshop on merchandising and store design. The theme of the presentation was “Think outside the box,” epitomized by Amster urging participants to see potential design elements in every facet of day-to-day life.

“Everywhere I go, I’m like, ‘I could use that in my next store design,’” Amster said. “‘I could do that over there.’ ... You can create a custom fixture of your own just by looking at something and thinking, ‘Oh, I could make that a display.’”

During the presentation, Morris put together a sample display using the design principles explained in the workshop. The pair gave guidelines for props.

Amster also encouraged participants to strongly consider attending the Atlanta International Gift Home Furnishings Market at least every other year. Without the AmericasMart Atlanta show, she said, it would be difficult for retailers to stay on top of gift trends. To supplement that market, Amster and Morris recommended using Pinterest to cultivate fresh design, gift and store layout ideas.

And The Friedman Group’s Wendi Swanson led a workshop on improving customer satisfaction. Early on, she discarded the term “customer service” and suggested replacing that phrase with “customer experience.” She used case studies from Sheels and Bata to demonstrate the power of putting the customer first.

“What are you doing so the customer leaves and they go, ‘Wow, I want to go back and see David’?” Swanson said, referring to a hypothetical employee. “That’s the difference between ‘good customer service’ and a great customer experience that rewards us with loyalty and referrals.”

Swanson recommended better employee training and accountability, and she said that managers need to clearly articulate the vision of the store and acceptable behavior for employees. In her opinion, the human touch is brick-and-mortar’s only major advantage over online competitors.

“The answer is not our product,” Swanson said. “The answer is not our pricing. Those are important. Those are not the differentiator. The differentiator is David or Jeff.”

She also supplied workshop attendees with simple ways to improve their store’s customer service, from handwritten thank-you notes to events tailored to the store’s existing or target audience.

Jerry Kregel, executive vice president of publishing, Kregel Publications, and Dan Balow, president and publisher of Gilead Publishing, announce the fall publication of the 50th Anniversary Edition of the 10 million–copy, best-selling novel Christy by Catherine Marshall.

The commemorative edition of Christy will also be the inaugural release by a new cooperative venture uniting Gilead and Kregel. Gilead, a newly formed company providing quality Christian fiction for a broad range of readers, is partnering with Kregel, which will exclusively produce, promote, distribute and sell the Gilead line.

“The agreement with Kregel allows us to focus on acquiring, developing and publishing great novels for fiction readers both Christians and those who want something to read that gives hope and encouragement,” Balow said. “We hope to be an example of how two companies can work together to accomplish something greater than either could separately.”

Kregel believes in the value of this partnership.

“We are extremely pleased to have the opportunity to partner with Gilead in this venture,” Kregel said. “The fiction that Gilead is producing goes hand in hand with the vision that has driven our own fiction line and will give us a greatly expanded market position in Christian fiction.”

Christy was first published in 1967 and by August 1968 had become a very early Christian entry into the rarified world of national best sellers. The 50th Anniversary Edition of the title will commemorate the year that set new records for Christian publishing. Format and release details will be announced soon.

Advanced Writers and Speakers Association (AWSA) announced the winners of the 2017 Golden Scroll Awards on Tuesday, June 27, at the Golden Scroll Banquet at the Hilton Plaza Hotel in Cincinnati.

Kregel Publishers won the Golden Scroll Publisher of the Year Award, which honors outstanding ministry partnerships between a publisher and its authors.

Letitia Suk, an AWSA author, praised Kregel.

“I’m proud to have Kregel’s name on my book and so grateful for their support and investment in me,” Suk said.

Stephen Barcliff won the Golden Scroll Nonfiction Editor of the Year Award. Suk also spoke of her respect for Barcliff.

“Steve is sharp and smart about business but always has time for his authors,” Suk said.

Pelican Book Group’s Lisa McCaskill won the Fiction Editor of the Year award.

AWSA author Robin Bayne praised McCaskill.

“Lisa put a lot of dedicated effort into the re-release of my novel,” Bayne said. “She made the entire experience a breeze.”

The Golden Scroll Nonfiction Book of the Year Award went to Lynn Eib for Peace in the Face of Cancer from Tyndale House Publishers.

The judges explained that Peace in the Face of Cancer was “a comforting, practical book about living with cancer by a survivor with a longtime ministry to patients.”

Golden Scroll Merit Awards for Nonfiction winners included Suk for Getaway With God: The Every Women’s Guide to Personal Retreat (Kregel Publications), Margot Starbuck for He Knows Your Name (Kregel) and Lucinda Secrest McDowell for Dwelling Places—Words to Live in Every Season (Abingdon Press).

Silver Scroll Merit Awards for Nonfiction went to Edie Melson for While My Child is Away (Worthy Inspired), Starbuck for Overplayed (Herald Press) and Joy Schneider for How to Keep Grief from Stealing Your Destiny (Water of Life Unlimited).

Cynthia Ruchti’s Song of Silence (Abingdon Press) won the Golden Scroll Novel of the Year Award.  The judges described Ruchti’s novel as “a stunning, beautiful, poetic, touching read.”

Golden Scroll Merit Awards for Fiction winners included Martha Bolton for The Home Game (Faith Happenings Publishers), Lynette Eason for Without Warning (Revell/Baker Publishing Group) and Edie Melson for Alone (Prism Book Group).

Silver Scroll Merit Awards for Fiction went to DiAnn Mills for Deadly Encounter (Tyndale House Publishers), Marilyn Turk for The Gilded Curse (Heritage Beacon Fiction) and Lynette Eason for Moving Target (Revell/Baker).

Crystal Bowman and Teri McKinley’s Our Daily Bread for Preschoolers (Discovery House) won the Golden Scroll Children’s Book of the Year. In a statement, the judges explained their rationale.

“This is an excellent book for teaching children ages 6 to 10 more about God,” the panel said.

The Golden Scroll Merit Award for Children’s Book of the Year went to Jeanne Dennis and Sheila Seifert for Bible Kid Adventures: Stories of Danger and Courage (Tyndale).

AWSA’s official magazine, Leading Hearts, won its third straight Evangelical Press Association Merit award. The magazine honored its columnists, including Pam Farrel, Michelle S. Cox, Rhonda Rhea, Penelope Carlevato, Saundra Dalton, Sharon Elliot, Kathy Collard Miller, Karen Porter and Cynthia Simmons.

Suzanne Kuhn was named the 2017 AWSA Member of the Year. AWSA founder Linda Evans Shepherd shared kind words about Kuhn.

“Suzanne has so many hard-earned insights and gifts regarding building an author’s platform, and she never hesitates to share her knowledge with her AWSA sisters,” Shepherd said.

Medical professional Karynthia Phillips won the Beyond Me Award. Phillips not only works with women who have high-risk pregnancies in the prison population but also with women audiences through her mentoring, writing and speaking.

Carol Kent served as the keynote speaker and recording artist Ginny Owens performed the special music.  Kent received the prestigious 2017 Impact Award.

“Carol has served the Lord through both tragedy and pain, and made such a difference for the cause of Christ,” Shepherd said.

AWSA President Karen Porter served as emcee. Kent and Shepherd presented the awards, and Dennis performed a parody written by Bolton dedicated to editors and publishers.

For more information, visit AWSA's official site.

Eric Grimm, CBA’s director of communications, gave retailers plenty of reasons for optimism with CBA’s State of the Industry report. The briefing was held Wednesday at the Big Idea Stage at CBA’s Unite 2017 show.

CBA’s State of the Industry is an annual survey conducted among Christian retailers, researching trends and their potential implications for the industry. Grimm said this year’s finding were consistent with prior years.

CBA kicked off the Unite 2017 convention in Cincinnati with encouragement and inspiration. The Tuesday evening show opener, “Worship Him!”, drew a sparse crowd for the service that featured author Mary DeMuth (Harvest House Publishers) as the main speaker along with artists The Collingsworth Family (StowTown Records/Provident Distribution) and Ricardo Sanchez (Difference Media).

In her opening remarks, Sue Smith, chair of CBA’s board of directors, acknowledged this reality but expressed optimism for both the show and the year ahead.

Family Christian announced that it will close the last of its stores this week. Fifty-eight stores will close their doors from May 9-13, including 27 stores on May 13, according to an official bulletin.

This represents the conclusion of a process that began in February, when Family Christian announced its closure after 85 years in business. Since then, over 150 stores nationwide have been shuttered.

At the time, Family Christian president Chuck Bengochea commented on the importance of finishing with excellence.

“Family Christian has left a powerful legacy of helping people find, grow, share and celebrate their faith in Jesus Christ,” he said. “Today and always, we are grateful to God for the privilege of serving Him and look forward to finishing strong for His name’s sake.”

In April, Harrison House President and CEO Troy Wormell announced the acquisition of 15 Family Christian Stores, which have been renamed Empowered Life Christian Books & Gifts.

Family Christian has one last sale for its last week—a “Final Days” sale that offers up to 90 percent off everything in-store.

Editor's Note: The original newsletter version of this story incorrectly claimed February was when Family Christian announced bankruptcy. The story has been updated for accuracy.

Harrison House President and CEO Troy Wormell and his wife, Joyce Wormell, announced in April the acquisition of 15 Family Christian Stores location. The new chain of Christian retail stores has the working name of Empowered Life Christian Books & Gifts.

The stores are in well-established locations in states across the U.S., including New Jersey, Arizona, Illinois and Florida. The headquarters, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, will serve as the stores’ distribution center.