Covenant Group and Parable Group have forged an alliance in the areas of online sales of church supplies, data warehousing services and email marketing.

The partnership is the latest in a series of alliances between the two groups dating back to 2011 and their joint e-book sales solution.

Beginning in late spring, Covenant will provide church supplies content and product fulfillment for Parable's website, www.parable.com. Covenant will also provide Parable franchise stores with its annual church supplies catalog.

Conversely, Parable will provide data warehousing services, including inventory reporting, consumer modeling and targeting services, email marketing and local online display advertising for Covenant member stores via www.covenantgroupstores.com.

"Covenant is a leader in serving church needs and the Parable Group is a leader in data, technology and digital services," said Steve Potratz, founder and CEO of Parable. "Our recent alliance with Covenant honors and respects each company's strengths, allowing each of us to focus on what we do best."

Covenant Group founder and President Chuck Wallington added: "In today's challenging retail environment, it becomes increasingly important to play off one another's strengths for the benefit of member stores in both groups. In addition, it is an excellent model for the industry of how Christian competitors can come together for the mutual good of both."

Covenant Group—the country's second-largest independent Christian chain after Mardel Christian & Education—provides marketing and support services to stores.

Started in 1985, Parable Christian Stores is the nation's largest Christian retail franchise with 25 locations throughout the country.

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