Christian retailers were presented with book-buying data to help them understand their shoppers better at the seminar titled "The Future of Christian Retail as Told by Your Customers."

David Campbell, senior account manager for publishing information specialist RR Bowker, shared details from the company's 2009 survey of 43,000 book buyers who answered 75 monthly questions about their reading and spending habits.

Bibles accounted for 43% of purchases at Christian retail, he revealed, followed by fiction (10%) and Christian living (9%). Bible study materials accounted for 8% of purchases. Christian retail remained the primary place for purchase of Christian books, followed by e-commerce sites, secular large chains, direct sales and book clubs, he added.

Christian retail consumers reported less purchase occasions than those for all channels (1.16 compared to1.8) and bought fewer books per occasion in comparison (1.31 to 1.5), but spent more money ($24.38 compared to $18.53). Christian retail's average selling price was higher than for all channels-$18 compared to $12.09.

Campbell also said that 18% of Christian nonfiction purchases were for Bible studies or classes, asking retailers at the presentation what they were doing to reach churches or small groups to make the most of the opportunity. He said that retailers should examine information like what he presented to ask themselves who their customer is, what kind of customer they could or should look to acquire, what their areas of specialty are and whether they should be creating new specialties to draw more shoppers.

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