Couch suggests educating pastors by having pastor’s breakfasts or luncheons. The complete New Testament is scheduled to release in October.

Audio Bibles resonate with a new generation. Mike Hulsey of Gifts of Joy, a Parable Christian Store (Lima, OH), says, “The new dramatized versions done by Zondervan and the NKJV done by Thomas Nelson have sold more copies than traditional audio versions. They reach a younger, more contemporary audience.”

Retailers connect customers to God’s Word

Some retailers have rearranged their store’s layout to make the Bible department even more obvious. Hulsey recently moved the Bible section to the middle of the store. “The Bible should be the center of what we do. We wanted our Bible department to be a visual statement of that belief,” he says. “Previously the Bible department was in a corner, and customers missed it. Now people travel through the Bibles on their way to other sections of the store. Although we saw a sales decrease last year, Bibles did better than any other department.” Gifts of Joy used the Nelson felt-need merchandising system. “Although I’m not fond of some categories,” says Hulsey, “such as Travel and Specialty, other categories such as Large Print and Study have worked very well. I find that being in a rural, conservative community, people come in either looking for the traditional King James or for a Bible they can understand.”

“I guess every store has to decide what’s best for their clientele, but even more important than the actual signage and the way the Bibles are displayed is— one-on-one [interaction] with the customer. That’s the best Bible merchandising there is,” says Scottie Velvin of The Harvest Company (Chesapeake, VA). “We’ve seen an increase in Bible sales and I believe it’s because we have two employees that will listen and spend the time with the customer to help them find exactly the Bible that will be best for them.”

Do everything for God’s glory. Make your Bible department the best it can be. Publishers want to help you and can provide resources and tools that will enable you to provide a better selection of Bibles; attractive, easily navigated signage; and vital, helpful employee training so you can serve people better than ever. Contact other retailers or your marketing group. Independent retailers love to help and encourage others.

Let’s be excellent in what we do. Whether you’re a publisher, retailer, or an employee, do anything and everything it takes to connect people to God’s Word. It’s through God’s Word that customers will know Jesus Christ and grow in His grace until they meet Him face to face. What an awesome privilege and responsibility! R+R

Sherri Litza has more than 20 years experience as a Christian bookstore owner/manager. She’s a CBA independent retail consultant and also writes for CBA Retailers + Resources.

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