Barnes & Noble is up for sale, and insiders say it’s going to go for bottom dollar. The chain, with all their superstores, used to strike fear into the hearts of mom-and-pop booksellers. Even their religious section often had greater depth and range than the average Christian bookstore.
Why did the big barn bookseller come to such an ignoble end? According to James B. Stewart at the Wall Street Journal, it was because they were behind the curve when it came to exploiting the Internet. Barnes & Noble was in the position to be the market leader, but they gave that position away when they put the emphasis on brick-and-mortar rather than electronic sales. Barnes & Noble was slow to exploit the Internet with digital reading devices and e-books. They did enter that market, but it was too little and too late.
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Retailers have picked 22 Thomas Nelson, Inc. titles as finalists in Christian Retailing magazine’s 2010 Retailers Choice Awards program. Products nominated in the competition were judged on three criteria: the impact they have had on staff and customers, their ability to speak to hearts and minds, and the potential to affirm Christ-like living. The winners will be announced at “The Gathering 2010,” a Christian bookselling event sponsored by Christian Retailing magazine. It will be held April 21-23 at Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, KY.
Amazon.com has notified all of its affiliates in Colorado that it is terminating its relationship with them because of a recently passed state law designed to make online retailers report sales tax on sales in the state. This action will affect Christian web sites based in Colorado that are Amazon.com affiliates.
Sales of religious books dipped 14.6% in January 2010 (the last month for which figures were available) according to the Association of American Publishers (AAP). This is in addition to the 14.6% decline reported in January 2009 when the overall decline became dominant.
Curtis Riskey has been appointed Executive Director for CBA, the Association for the Christian retail industry, effective immediately, according to a CBA news release. Riskey has been serving as CBA interim executive director since November 1, 2009, and has served with CBA since October 2007 in the role of strategic solutions executive. The CBA Board will be using an executive director management model going forward and has ceased its search for a new president/CEO. 
