The Christian retail market has plenty of room to grow, said Lew Burdette, owner of Kindred Inc. in Center Point.
With 20,000 square feet, Kindred might be considered a super store by some standards. But Burdette, a former manager of a Books-A-Million for 13 years, said he hopes people will check out the “truth” in the store.
Darrell Holcombe, manager of the 6,000-sq-ft. Amen Corner in Pelham, said the larger stores like Kindred don’t hurt his business.
“We try not to think of (competition) the way businesses would,” said Holcombe. “We’re all trying to accomplish the same thing.”
While Kindred is new, other stores like LifeWay Christian stores, have expanded their stores to accommodate the growing industry.
Formerly known as the Baptist Book Store, LifeWay’s Birmingham store grew from 14,000 square feet to 18,000 square feet about two years ago.
Mike Jolly, manager of the Homewood store, said the name change, which occurred in May 1999, was designed “to make ourselves more available to other denominations… while still maintaining” ties with Baptists. Jolly said the store “serves churches and individuals to help them know Jesus Christ.”
Drew Jones, manager at Cokesbury Christian Bookstore in Vestavia Hills, said his store, which is the retail arm of the United Methodist Publishing House, offers a variety of denomination-specific materials as well as general Christian merchandise.
The store has been in the Birmingham area more than 50 years. It started downtown and has moved twice. It’s current location is 11,000 square feet.
Jones said if a church has a building and carpet, Cokesbury “could supply everything else.” Since the store moved to its larger space about four and a half years ago, Jones said it has added a larger variety of gifts, such as jewelry and pictures.
Product variety was cited by managers of various bookstores as a key to strong sales.
With 74 stores across the country, Cokesbury is about as “broad-based” when it comes to Christian materials as it gets, he said. Not only is the store any official distributor of United Methodist materials, Cokesbury is also the official distributor of Presbyterian USA, United Church of Christ, Episcopal and American Baptist denominations.
One of the seminary stores is located in Samford University’s Beeson Divinity School.
Kindred’s manager, Derrick Blackshear, said the store is “one-stop shopping” for Christian merchandise.
Michelle Monk, manager of the Parent-Teacher Store in Hoover, said her store carries Christian supplies as well as educational supplies for the general public.
Monk said the store policy is to keep costs as low as possible. She said the store has a discontinued table with all items there at 50 percent off. When the store orders a newer item, the old item is put out on the table.
The Parent-Teacher Store offers consumers a variety of home school products and supplements to public school material.
Holcombe said a big draw for many stores is authors and musicians. Waterdeep, a contemporary Christian band, visited the store Jan. 22 for an autograph signing.
Customer perks are seen as a way to keep customers happy.
Kindred established a program much like Books-A-Million’s Millionaires Club when it first opened. For a yearly fee, consumers receive discounts on all their purchases.
Kindred gave the money from the first month and a half to Big Oak Ranch. Another charity outreach ministry donated used Bibles to a juvenile detention center.
The Amen Corner, which also has a Childersburg location, works with the Shelby branch of Sav-A-Life and LifeWay raises money for the World Hunger Fund.
Blackshear said Kindred features live bands in the café every Friday and Saturday nights and occasionally hosts outdoor concerts.
“We’re always on the lookout for authors and artists,” said Jolly LifeWay also has bands on Friday nights. Besides trying to attract music fans and avid readers, some stores also have specialized services.
LifeWay has an Internet Service Provider (isp) available. The customer can get the start-up CD free but will be charge a monthly fee for the isp.
Kindred also offers shoppers a high-tech alternative. The store has computers to find information on the Internet. With the increased usage of the Internet and computers in general, many stores are adding software titles and computer-related supplies such as mouse pads.
And the Amen Corner said they have expanded their materials for Sunday School curriculum and Spanish ministering tools.
Blackshear said one reason he likes working at Kindred is the staff meets daily for devotion and to pray for each other as well as people who put drop requests at the store.
While the Christian market is expanding in the central region of the state, the markets in north and south Alabama are also experiencing growth.
For Lynn Walker, owner of the Oasis Christian Bookstore in Auburn, the Christian market is like the movie “Field of Dreams.”
“If you build it, they will come,” Walker said, quoting a line form the popular Kevin Costner movie. For many Christian retailers that line has proven true, with customers coming not once, but man times, to their stores.
Walker and her husband, George, opened their store near Auburn University in 1995. She said a Christian store was already in the space, but they expanded to add more of “everything.”
Owner Larry “Chico” Grider said Lighthouse Bookstore Inc. in Auburn is almost finished with a five-year remodeling plan that allowed the 3,000-sq.-ft. store to reorganize and expand its gift life. The store has been open about 20 years.
They may be competing for the same customers, but Walker and Grider said they’re also working together to spread the Word.
“We work together with the other (Christian) stores in town,” Grider said.
“I realize in the big sense the (Oasis) are competiton, but I don’t consider it (that way),” adds Grider.
Walker described the purpose of the Christian book stores as wanting to “equip disciple and nurture believers.”
Kevin Maurer, assistant manager at Heaven’s Depot in Montgomery, said the Christian market is the “fastest-growing market.”
He described his store, which has tow locations, as “customer-driven.”
Martha Montgomery, manager of Gospel Lighthouse Bible Book Center in Foley, said “we’re not out to beat the other guy, we’re here to get the Word out.”
Gospel Lighthouse, which opened in 1998, has 11 stores, four of which are in Alabama. In addition to Foley, the chain also operates stores in Mobile, Bay Minette and Gulf Shores.
“Fellowship and unity” are a big part of the body of Christ, said Matt Rusk, and employee at Yates/Chance Christian Bookstore in Cullman.
For Christian retailers, continuing that relationship often means referring customers to the competition. “We work together,” said Rusk.
Rusk said there is no hesitation to call one of the other Christian stores in town if Yates/Chance does not carry an item.
Other Christian retailers also expressed an eagerness to work with other religious book stores.
Janie Bogus, manager of Mars Hill Book Store in Florence, said her store has a “good relationship” with the other Christian retailers in the area. The store, which is a block away from Mars Hill College, is affiliated with the Church of Christ.
Christina Johnson, manager of Christian Bible and Gift Shop in Fort Payne offered a similar opinion, saying the other Christian store in the north Alabama town are not competition. Instead, she said the stores call on each other to help serve the customer.
Competition and a greater demand for Christian items means stores have not only had to expand, but also broaden their product lines, such as offering gift items, decorations, wedding accessories, etc.
Most Christian stores “try to be all things to all people” according to Steve Archer, manager of Bible Outlet in Boaz. Archer describes the Boaz store as a “full-service book store” with an emphasis on Bibles.
The only Christian store in Boaz, Archer said the Bible Outlet has moved six times, each time tot a larger space. Because so many tourists and shoppers come to Boaz for the outlets, Archer said radio is the best medium for reaching his customers.
Johnson said Christian Bible and Gift Shop, which also has stores in Andalusia, Jasper and Cullman, attempts to be “across the board,” appealing to everyone.
Melanie Tidwell, manager of Harvest Field Christian Store in Athens, said their building doubled in size three years ago to 4,900 square feet. Tidwell expanded the gift line and cut down on church supplies such as Sunday School curriculum because of the strong Southern Baptist presence in Athens. The area’s Southern Baptist churches usually order directly from the convention.
Bogus said Mars Hill College opened in 1947. Along with opening its doors the public she said more software and videos have been added to the store. The store ships merchandise nationwide and throughout the world.
Increased demand means Christian retailers have also had to turn their attention toward advertising. One way Bogus advertises is through catalogs, along with radio, television and newspaper.
“You really get more bang for your buck” with direct mail, said Tidwell, who uses newspapers and flyers to advertise. She said the commitment for radio is bigger because retailers have to invest in several spots.
Jean Stevens, manager of The Gospel Lighthouse in Decatur, said her store uses a mailing list for promotions and gives out coupons or gift certificates.
Some of the Christian stores offer special services to attract customers. Grider said his store offers home school materials, as well as special collectors items.
Rusk said the store just started a Spanish section. A Spanish grocery and Mexican restaurant are near the store, and several new Spanish churches are beginning.
David Collins, manager of LifeWay has instituted a discount plan in the last few months. The frequent buyer card allows the customer to pay a yearly fee for a card. Each time the customer makes a purchase, the card will be punched. When it is full, the customer receives a discount on their next purchase.
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