Fashion jewelry, T-shirts and gift books are among the top-selling Christian gifts, according to several gift companies surveyed by Christian Retailing.

Gardenfire apparel company owner Jayme Brandt reported “strong sell-through for classic gospel messaging and a decline in the trendy, watered-down fashion looks,” signaling a change in the market. “It appears that many are not looking for generic hope and faith reflections as they were in the past four years. Even though some of the big box stores are offering inspirational designs on many products, you will notice for the most part the messages have been censored in a way that is palatable for people of all or many faiths. In the CBA stores, I am encouraged to see an increase in salvation, eternal life, testimonial and invitational design.”

Tina Wohlgemuth, general manager of Servant Marketing, which distributes its own products and represents other companies, believes that book-related gifts help book sales, citing the T-shirt that is themed to Kyle Idleman’s Not a Fan (Zondervan). “The stores that have brought in the shirts and inform their employees about what a great witness tool they are know the importance of the ministry aspect to this shirt,” she said. “This is just one example, from my view, where stores can open up a little more to purchasing gifts, and in doing so, also help their book sales.”

In jewelry, she said that $20 seems to be a good price point. “With silver and gold both going up in price, fashion jewelry is the trend right now,” she said. “If you take into consideration who the average shopper is, and I think it still remains the 40-something woman, she is the impulse shopper. … A jewelry piece that retails for under $20, or maybe $25, will catch her eye and her pocketbook, if displayed in the right place. In some parts of the country, it may be a lower-priced item, but $20 still seems to be the limit.”

Wohlgemuth also observed an “overall upswing” in wall crosses. “The more unique the cross is, the more we sell,” she said.

Roman notes that “the memorial gift category is experiencing growth and expansion,” said Jackie Kutrovacz, marketing coordinator. Ongoing design trends show that the designs are “more upscale and updated to include scrollwork in addition to more contemporary patterns utilized on everything from sacramental gifts (baptism, communion, confirmation and wedding) to inspirational plaques.”

Laura Minchew, senior vice president and publisher of children and gift specialty books at Thomas Nelson, notes that devotionals like Jesus Calling are becoming more “giftable,” and also observes a “year-round seasonality in gift-giving.”

“While the digital revolution is not having nearly the impact on gift books as on other categories, such as fiction, some of the categories that were once staples in the gift business, such as books packaged with a music CD, have waned,” Minchew said.

“Gift books sell best face-out,” she added. “Thomas Nelson created a spinner for our J. Countryman books, and the stores that took the spinner have seen on average an increase of 70% of their J. Countryman titles. That is a huge increase in revenue for an 18-inch square footprint.”

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