For the second successive year a church-run bookstore has been honored by CBA as one of the best Christian retail operations in the country.

George Thomsen, manager of Harvest Bookstore and Café in Riverside, Calif., was presented with one of three Jim Carlson CBA Store of the Year Impact Awards at a special prize-giving last night.

Effective use of technology and merchandising offered "a fresh and cutting-edge impact for the customers to experience" and resulted in impressive annual sales per full-time equivalent of $140,000, attendees were told.

Awards also went to Chuck Wallington, owner of Christian Supply in Spartanburg, S.C., and John and Patricia Pope, owners of The Cornerstone Bookstore in Boone, N.C.

Wallington's store was recognized for having developed "one of the most strategic marketing plans seen in this industry" and effective staff training and merchandising that resulted in higher-than-average turns of 4.1.

The Popes were honored as 28-year CBA members who had grown their store from 800 square feet to 10,000 square feet and seeing sales per square foot of $166 with "a clear vision of God's place in the store's operations and history."

Each of the three stores is to receive a $1,000 award from Spring Arbor Distributors and $750 from Zondervan.

CBA President Bill Anderson presented the CBA Supplier of the Year Award, as chosen by association retail members, to Spring Arbor Distributors as the company that “best exemplifies leadership and innovation” and "a true partner to the Christian retailer in both business and ministry."

Anderson also introduced the first More From The Core Innovation Award, given to Zondervan to mark the company's "enthusiastic and faithful" support for the booksellers association and its recently launched More From The Core three-year initiative focusing on key customers, supplier partnerships, inventory and staff.

Other CBA Supplier Impact Awards were: Outstanding Products for the Christian Retail
Channel: DaySpring; Excellence in Sales & Marketing Programs to the Christian Retail
Channel: Provident-Integrity Distribution; Outstanding Support of the Christian Retail
Channel: Demdaco; and Excellence in Distribution & Service to the Christian Retail Channel: Spring Arbor.

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