A Bustle of Activity in the Christian Retailers Industry
The annual CBA convention, known as the largest networking event for Christian retailers, spun out a bevy of news from individual moves to new partnerships to exclusive book releases.
The annual CBA convention, known as the largest networking event for Christian retailers, concurred with a bevy of news from the Christian retail industry, relating to individual moves to new partnerships to exclusive book contracts.
Trade Association News
The newly launched Christian Trade Assoc. Intl., headed by former CBA Intl. Director Jim Powell, elected its board and planned its first regional convention. Board members are PLN Murthy, chairman; Alexander Y.C. Lee, vice chairman; Marlene Coghlin, secretary; Greg Thornton, treasurer; Sylvester Ejeh, member at large, and Powell, president. ChristianTrade will hold Marketsquare Europe next March in Amsterdam.
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ECPA expands Publishing University, Nov. 6-8, themed “Consumer Centric Publishing,” which will include professionals from The Gallup Organization, Neilson Entertainment, Ipsos-Insight, and contain three new tracks including Information Technology, Production and Pre-Press Management, and Publishing 101, plus a combined Sales and Marketing track.
Individuals
Veteran American Bible Society board member Paul Irwin will serve as interim president/CEO of effective July 18 while they continue to search for a new president.
After a 37-year tenure with Thomas Nelson Publishers, Ken Sherman, key accounts manager for Bibles, reference and electronics, will retire July 29.
Rod Huff will be Integra GP chief operating officer effective Aug. 1. He’s served the CBA industry for 16 years, most recently as Chordant Distribution Group co-president.
New Partnerships
Several new partnerships have been announced.
BROADMAN & HOLMAN partners with China-based ZDL Books to publish and distribute. The publishing company, which released a major Bible translation just last year, set a 15-year deal with American Bible Society to distribute Holman products.
A few crossover partnerships were also announced.
As an official licensee for Disney’s The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Bob Siemon Designs will release a line of jewelry built around the movie’s main characters available in October.
Chrysler Financial will back Vickie Winans’ 11-date tour, opening July 28 in Detroit. Tickets to each show will be free on a first-come, first-served basis, distributed via www.vickiewinansrisingstar.com.
In their new partnership with UPS, Anchor Distributors and Whitaker House can now ship anywhere in the continental U.S. within three days.
Creation Festival teamed up with inpop Records to film a live DVD of Newsboys’ performance that will pair with the band’s new full-length studio album releasing early 2006.
Through Anchor Bay Entertainment, NEST Family is exclusively distributing Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood DVD to the Christian market.
New Products
Dennis DeShazer and Jon Green, key executives of preschool Barney the Dinosaur, are part of a team that’s been working on a new series that blends faith and education, Boz (Exclaim Entertainment) in spring 2006, and Big House Kids will release its next “Praise Baby Collection” video Born to Worship in Sep.
Meanwhile, Integrity Publishers and Russ Berrie partner to bring a line of developmental toys, gifts, and nursery décor to complement Integrity Publishers’ “babyfaith” line. Russ Berrie plans to expand the brand to include plush toys, baby accessories, bibs, cribs, mobiles, frames, and plaques releasing in the fall.
Corporate Initiatives
Parable, the marketing-buying group celebrates 20 years, growing from its original 50 store members to 230 in the last 20 years, to producing more than 300 million catalogs and fliers, recently branching into franchising and Web site services.
InterVarsity Press plans to launch three imprints this year or next: IVP Academic, IVP Connect, and IVP Books. IVP Books will contain its own imprints or divisions, such as a line of “cool” books to reach popular culture. IVP will nearly double its warehouse space. The company won two Gold Medallion awards Monday.
Tyndale House Publishers, which recently hired Andrés Schwartz (formerly with Editorial Portavoz) as head of the newly formed Spanish division, has named the imprint Tyndale Español.
Thomas Nelson, the major publishing group, is launching a national media-relations campaign to consumers to encourage them to use the Million Bible Challenge to evangelize. The new challenge will be advertised encouraging consumers to contact their local Christian stores. The Bible goal is 5 million sold by Easter 2006.
Kerusso presented a $250,000 check to Compassion Intl. President Wess Stafford from the sales of 1 million Live for Him wristbands, the first half of Kerusso’s goal for the Red Wristband Project.
Industry-wide News
Retailers and Law Enforcement crack down on theft. The FBI and National Retail Federation created a retail loss prevention intelligence network database to identify and dismantle organized theft groups allowing law enforcement to quickly deploy agents to stop retail theft, which costs the industry between $15 billion and $30 billion a year.
A study released this week that tested the top 20 Web-trafficked retailers shows that while retailers’ online performance isn’t terrible, retailers need to simplify their Web sites, reduce downtime, and make checkout easier to increase on-line sales.
New Book Contracts
Warner Faith, a division of Time Warner Book Group, signed TIME Editor Nancy Gibbs, and TIME Washington Bureau Chief Michael Duffy to write an account of Billy Graham’s relationships with the past 11 presidents, starting with Harry Truman.
Phillip Yancey signed with Zondervan to release his next major book, continuing their 30-year partnership. Since 1977 his books have sold more than 14 million copies and have been translated into 25 languages. Best-selling author Karen Kingsbury will also publish exclusively with Zondervan, beginning in 2008.
Dallas Willard, The Divine Conspiracy and Spirit of the Disciplines author signed a three-book deal with HarperSanFrancisco to publish the application of his ideas about discipleship. The first volume releases summer 2006.
Integrity Publishers inked a six-book contract with best-selling author David Jeremiah. The first title of the new deal will release in fall 2006.
Contemporary-fiction writer Cindy Martinusen has re-signed a two-book deal with WestBow Press (Nelson). Martinusen was a Christy Award finalist for Winter Passing. The Salt Garden was named one of Library Journal’s Best Books of 2004. Her first novel under the new agreement releases in February 2006.
Bestsellers
Joel Rosenberg’s The Ezekiel Option (Tyndale) reached USA Today’s Top 150 Bestseller list at #138 and The New York Times extended bestseller list for July 17 at #30.
David Wheaton has been interviewed on the Sean Hannity Show, the Hugh Hewitt Show, and the Laura Ingraham Show, for his book University of Destruction: Your Game Plan for Spiritual Victory on Campus (Bethany House), which was #25 on Amazon.com after going to press four times since its March release to meet retail demand.
John and Stasi Eldredge’s Captivating (Nelson Books/Nelson) landed at No. 12 on this week’s New York Times Hardcover Advice best-seller list. The book is also No. 1 on the Christian Marketplace July best-seller list.
