Fiction buyers are the most frequent purchasers in Christian bookstores, said Steve Oates, vice president of marketing for Bethany House Publishers, during the Product Intelligence Tour on fiction held Monday and repeated Wednesday.

Oates gave the dozen retailers in attendance a detailed assessment of fiction buyers and how to serve them in local bookstores.

"In a world where only 20-25% of Christian books are sold through a Christian bookstore, how can I become the store of choice for the Christian fiction customer?" he asked.

To answer that question, Oates presented advice, including thinking like a consumer, assessing the strengths and weaknesses of competitors and developing a relationship with the customer. For customers asking about future releases in series, a common query among Christian fiction readers, Oates suggested stores respond by offering a dollar off for those willing to place a pre-release order.

Addressing the weaknesses of big-box stores compared to Christian retail, Oates highlighted the difficulty in shipping books to arrive at the same time and told retailers: "Barnes and Noble still can't get it as quickly as you can on your shelves."

Jeanette Webster, owner of Source of Light Bible Bookstore in Jamaica, said the seminar would help her market fiction in her store. She said price point, however, was still a major concern.

"As a Third World country, I'd rather have the price points lower," she said. "My younger customers are looking for books in their price range."

She added that younger shoppers are also looking for fiction in more contemporary settings.

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