Many Christian retail stores are missing out on an opportunity to develop business links with local churches.

Almost two-third of stores with no known church-based retail operations in their area seldom or never supply local pastors with product samples, according to the latest Christian Retailing Vital Signs survey.

Meanwhile, with the church store movement widely expected to continue to grow, 85% of church-based stores reported that they were the main purchase point for their congregation's small group materials.

The survey, which looked at the relationship between church and non-church stores and their customer bases, and some of the opportunities that are available, also found two-thirds of non-church retailers recognizing church stores as having "untapped potential," and three-fourths saying that church stores "introduce new shoppers to Christian products."

At the same time, a majority (58%) of non-church retailers regarded church stores as competition for shoppers, with 54% seeing them as a "siphon" of good customers because parishioners would "rather support their local church."

More than half (57%) of traditional retailers identified at least one church in their general trading area that hosts a retail outlet on the church campus. Of these, 30% were described by traditional retailers as being "full service" and open to the public on a regular basis, while 51% were seen as having a limited selection serving only the immediate "church community."

Read the full report in the Dec. 7 issue of Christian Retailing.

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