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CBA Retailers + Resources

Industry Brief

May 5, 2008

Church-store specific opportunities at the International Christian Retail Show 2008. This year’s International Christian Retail Show, July 13-17, will offer more dynamic opportunities for retailer training—including several workshops specifically designed for church store managers and frontliners.

Church store attendees will have the opportunity to attend any of the retailer workshops, including three that specifically address the challenges and opportunities unique to church stores. These workshops will touch on how to get the leadership and the congregation of the church involved, how to connect with the changing Church and the changing consumer markets, and how to manage church store financials.

The Church Store Idea Exchange Luncheon will also offer the chance to network with other church stores as you share and develop tangible ideas to better serve your members. You’ll walk away inspired and encouraged as you carry out your role of spreading the Good News!

The International Christian Retail Show is the most comprehensive opportunity to step away for networking with other church bookstores, training, relationship building with suppliers, and ministry growth. For more information on the International Christian Retail Show and opportunities for church stores, visit www.christianretailshow.com.

Moody finds a “time tested tool” to help Christian retailers. After testing in 35 Covenant stores for the past eight months, Moody Publishers has committed to an Above The Treeline software program that seeks to help Christian retailers increase profit and manage inventory, company officials said.

Starting March 2008, the program will enable Moody Publishers to assess participating retailers’ strongest selling inventory and make suggested recommendations.

“Our management team and the Revelation Marketing Group are committed to helping individual stores succeed using this powerful tool,” said Steve Gemeiner, director of sales for Moody Publishers. “This retail intelligence provides us better insight on market trends that allow the publisher to make suggestions on back list inventory and new releases that will match the stores specific demographics.”

Above The Treeline President John Rubin added, “The software helps foster communication between book suppliers and book sellers. With a retailer’s permission, suppliers get real-time information on the sales of their products in a store. They can track the products that sell well in that location and ones that do not, enabling the supplier to customize products that a retailer can move quickly and eliminate stagnant inventory.”

Since 2003, other publishing houses such as Random House, Zondervan, Tyndale, Thomas Nelson, and Moody Publishers have partnered with Above The Treeline to use the program.

CBA's newest service provider saves members time and money. BounceBack’s check recovery program has helped CBA members like LifeWay and Berean Christian Stores be more efficient and recover more funds from NSF checks.

Melissa Mitchell, loss prevention director at LifeWay, said, “Since using BounceBack, we have had a 54% increase in additional income compared to check collection ratios from various other companies.”

Berean Christian Stores’ assistant controller, Tricia Brown, has also seen success with BounceBack's programs. “They reduce bank fees and checks are recovered quicker with a higher success rate.”

For more information on BounceBack’s program and how CBA members can benefit, click here or call BounceBack at (513) 524-2320 x255.

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