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Christian Stores Embracing Secular Products

November 1, 2007

It used to be that when you went to a Christian bookstore you expected to find Bibles, Christian books, Sunday School curriculum and a few related products like pre-printed bulletin covers and church communion sets. Books have had less prominence in recent years, while higher profit items like Christian music, greeting cards, bumper stickers and knickknacks have gained prime floor space.

With that trend away from books, many retailers changed their mission and their name to the more general “Christian stores,” rather than called being Christian bookstores.

In recent survey by Christian Retailing magazine, owners and managers of Christian stores indicated that they were moving even further away from the core of Christian book sales and are now stocking non-Christian products. According to Christian Retailing magazine, “Cookbooks, nonreligious gift items like general greeting cards and art, family-friendly films that are not specifically religious and ‘books with spiritual themes’ were among the most mentioned types of general market items carried by Christian specialty retailers.”

Of those responding to the survey, 52% said they were stocking secular products in a “desire to offer a broader range of thought” or to “respond to increased customer demand.”

Respondents did not focus on other elements fueling the change, such as the fact that many of their Christian customers are less discerning about the value of various products being offered, or the higher profit margins that are often available to retailers selling non-Christian items. 

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Written by The Editor · Filed Under Publishing Industry News