 Christian stores need to get in the
e-books business, but they are going to have to do it on their own.
That is the verdict of CBA after a
yearlong inquiry into how brick-and-mortar retailers should respond
to the growth of digital publishing.The trade association has confirmed
that a proposed industry-wide platform—which, Christian
Retailing previously reported, Executive Director Curtis Riskey
said in July seemed to be unlikely—has been shelved. A task force
looking into the possibility was unable to find a “viable,
broad-based cooperative solution,” CBA has announced in a white
paper detailing its efforts. High start-up costs, limited foreseeable
return on investment and perceived high risk in a cooperative program
were among the obstacles cited in the report, “Christian Retail
Channel e-Book Status: An exploration into the rise of e-books.” “However, retailers should pursue
individual solutions through available technologies,” the white
paper concluded. While some “hysteria” had
overstated the impact of e-books, digital sales were significantly
impacting the book business and stores needed to embrace them, the
report said. However, the task force found some retailers concerned
that trying to find a way to offer digital sales might be futile. “A
number of large, successful bookstores do not have an Internet
presence or online multichannel strategies.” As part of its deliberations, the task
force looked at more than a dozen e-book sales options. Members of
the group included independent retailers and marketing group
representatives. The white paper was written by Riskey
along with Eric Grimm, CBA manager of strategic partnerships, and
Michael Regennitter, CBA director of membership. Click here to download the white paper.
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