CBA chairman Jim Whitaker--who with his wife, Bonnie, has owned New Life Christian Store in Lynchburg, Va., for 20 years--is shutting down the business.

Over the years nearby Christian bookstores and big-box outlets proved to be too much competition for New Life, WSET-TV reported. "It's heartbreaking to us as a family because it's kind of like losing a child that you've had for 20 years and all of a sudden, all those plans you had for that child are not going to work out," Whitaker told the Lynchburg TV station.

Whitaker spoke of competition from other Christian stores having impacted his 7,000-square-foot business. Although he did not identify the stores by name, they include LifeWay Christian Stores, which opened a location about a mile from New Life in November 2006.

Additionally, there is a Barnes & Noble near Whitaker's store. Barnes & Noble also plans to open another location by the end of the month at the campus of Liberty University--located near New Life, WSET-TV reported.

CBA President Bill Anderson told Christian Retailing that Whitaker's "current plans are to stay in the industry, and the board has determined there is no reason to interrupt his term while he is considering a new retail business model and continues to serve his church customers."

Whitaker, who could not be reached for comment, took over as CBA chairman from Chris Childers who sold his landmark family-run business while in office.

"Anytime a chain store moves in on top of an independent store it has a devastating impact," Whitaker told Christian Retailing last summer. "LifeWay's move across the street from us has taken the wind out of our sails to say the least. Right now we are evaluating all options for the future, but we have not yet made any specific plans (regarding expansion or reduction)."

Childers' Macon Christian Bookstore in Macon, Ga., opened in 1949, was bought by Berean Christian Stores in March 2007.

Earlier this year, Berean closed down Childers' former store in a strategic business decision that cut the number of the Cincinnati-based regional chain's locations by almost a third. "Due to the economic climate, we have been faced with the difficult decision of closing several of our Berean stores, including our Macon location," Berean President Bill Simmons said on the chain's Web site.

• Prev
• Next