February 8, 2010

Day of Prayer: 26th March 2010

Posted by Phil Groom under Announcements, Christian Bookshops, News | Tags: , , , |
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Cross-posted from Christian Marketplace:

Following the success of the first Day of Prayer last September, it is proposed to hold a second Day of Prayer for the UK Christian trade on Friday 26th March 2010.

The plan is for all parts of the Christian media industry, retailers, suppliers, distributors and customers, to gather together on that day to pray for our trade at a time, and in places, to suit as many people as possible.

Joy McIlroy, from Ashburnham bookshop, who started the ball rolling last year over the internet said, “Further to the recent Christian Resources Together Consultation Day and the break-up of IBS-STL UK, we felt it was right to come together once again in prayer to thank God for his provision and to seek his guidance as we move forward together.”

The suggestion is that the focus of prayer should be for all aspects of the trade as we seek to move forward post-Biblica – but with a special focus on the local Christian bookshop.

Clem Jackson, editor of ‘Christian Marketplace’, said, “At the Consultation Day we were challenged to pray for our trade, more regularly, and to listen to what God is saying to us. The Day of Prayer last September caught the imagination and attention of people in a way which I know surprised us all and is something which I believe we must continue with.”

In addition to the Day of Prayer for the trade, by the trade, it is hoped to open this up to the church at large by asking local churches to pray for the trade and particularly their local Christian bookshop, during their services on 28th March (Palm Sunday).

“The issue of local Christian bookshop has been the subject of articles in many local publications and even ‘The Times’ (‘The call goes out to keep Jesus on the High Street’ – Timesonline 17th January),” said Jackson. “We need to tap into, and develop, this increased awareness and get local congregations ‘on board’.”

This initiative provides another opportunity for bookshop managers to make contact with local church leaders and seek their support. “We suggest that bookshop managers contact their local church leaders with prayer pointers etc. to help this process,” said Jackson. “But equally, church leaders who are readers of this magazine are urged to take this initiative on themselves.”

Those who are able to host prayer events on 26th March are asked to contact the UK Christian Bookshops blog (http://christianbookshopsblog.org.uk/) to communicate their plans and also use Facebook and Twitter to get the message out.

As with last year’s Day of Prayer, a dedicated page has been set up for discussions relating to the day. If you plan to host an event, at your bookshop or elsewhere, please leave details in the comments on that page.

 

February 2, 2010

Caritas Music Celebrates 12 Years

Posted by Phil Groom under Christian Suppliers, Guest Posts, News | Tags: , , , , , |
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Caritas Music Publishing

Caritas Music Publishing

Congratulations are in order for Katharine Douglas and Caritas Music today as they celebrate 12 years in business. I invited Katharine to tell us all about it.

She writes:

Music Publisher, Distributor and Supplier, Caritas Music Publishing marks its 12th birthday today, Tuesday 2nd February 2010 (Candlemas).

Cry of the Deer

Cry of the Deer

Begun in 1998 by Katharine Douglas and originally based in Edinburgh, Caritas began with distributing the music of Classical Composer James Douglas. To date Caritas has expanded its catalogue to include almost 20 different Classical labels from small independent companies, such as Collegium Records to the multi-nationals such as Universal, Sony Music and EMI, as well as distributing 15 CDs by composer James Douglas (composer of David Adam collaborations Visions of Glory and Cry of the Deer). Still a relatively small company and now located in North West Scotland since 2006, Caritas prides itself on its quick, personal and friendly service, as well as the ability to search for any recordings for customers.

Although obviously the bookshop retail industry has seen dramatic changes over the past 12 years, Caritas is still here and welcomes new customers all the time, such as St Olav Trust in Chichester or Norwich Christian Resource Centre, both former SPCK Bookshops, who have had long trading histories with Caritas and its owner Katharine Douglas.

As well as the recorded side of its business, Caritas Music Publishing also publishes a significant amount of sheet music suitable for individuals, churches, choirs or groups, as well as distributing the sheet music of its fellow publisher Eschenbach Editions.

Bulk discount is offered as well as generous trade terms on all sheet music items. For full details please visit www.caritas-music.co.uk/order_system/

To mark the company’s 12th Birthday, 7 CDs by Composer James Douglas will be re-launched in February with brand new designs, covers and full information about all of the tracks. The new CDs are called: Vigil of the Ascension, Into the Taiga, Threnody for Lost Time, Rannoch, Compline, Doors of Perception and The Feast of his Joy. Full information here: www.caritas-music.co.uk/compact_discs.html

Katharine Douglas (Owner)
Caritas Music Publishing, Achmore, Moss Road, Ullapool, IV26 2TF
01854 612236 (Tel / Fax)
Email: caritas AT caritas-music.co.uk

 

January 29, 2010

First Living Oasis Store Scheduled to Open in Harrogate

Posted by Phil Groom under Christian Bookshops, News | Tags: , , |
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Where to find the former Wesley Owen, Harrogate, soon to be reborn as the first Living Oasis store

THE FIRST of the former Wesley Owen bookshops to be reborn as a Living Oasis store is scheduled to open its doors in Harrogate at 1pm on Saturday, February 13th, according to a brief note left here earlier today by Julie Jowett, the shop’s manager.

Adrian Plass — author of many Christian books including the hilarious Bacon Sandwiches and Salvation — will be attending as guest of honour to cut the ribbon. Refreshments will be served and, says Julie, all are invited.

Watch this space for more information as it emerges…

 

January 27, 2010

Living Oasis: Official Press Release

Posted by Phil Groom under Christian Bookshops, News | Tags: , , , |
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Living Oasis: A Vision for the High Street

Living Oasis - A Vision for the High Street (14 page pdf, 1.7MB)

In the words of the inimitable Ian Metcalfe, straight from the horse’s mouth. Or, to be more precise, from the Revd Andy Twilley, Director of Christian Life & Ministry at Nationwide Christian Trust:

Living Oasis: A Vision for the High Street

In the weeks leading up to Christmas we waited with bated breath to see the outcome of the announcement that the Wesley Owen chain of bookshops had been put into the hands of administrators. The outcome; a few of the shops were taken over, but 26 were allocated for closure.

There is something really important at stake here because we believe that having a Christian presence on our High Streets is really significant. It isn’t simply the existence of a bookshop that’s important, but rather, we believe that each one represents a mission opportunity; an opportunity to impact the lives of the individuals from within that local community.

Part of the Problem
 Up until now, many of the struggling Christian bookshops have retained a very narrow focus, namely they have simply focussed on Christian books and resources, and thereby the predominance of customers have been Christians. This has greatly reduced their viability on the High Street because no matter how attractive the shop front, and no matter how well laid out the stock is, the fact remains, there is little reason why people would chose to go in.

A Way Forward
 We believe that by thinking imaginatively and innovatively, these shops could play an increasingly key part for the work of the Kingdom. It is naive to think that any specific model or programme could simply be replicated throughout the country assuming that if it works in one place it will be effective in all the others. However we believe that certain principles can be applied which could bring about a transformation. Part of that thinking includes the possibility of introducing a high quality coffee shop facility, a large lounge area as well as a children’s play zone.

An Expanding Vision
 There are ongoing discussions with Store managers and local Christians to see what might be relevant and possible within any specific store. We want these shops to become centres of activity, with a life and vitality which goes way beyond the products on the shelves, including possible ways the premises can be used outside normal opening times for other imaginative projects or events.

Widening the Mindset
 We will be seeking to envision local Christians towards a way of thinking which moves from Maintenance to Mission. We want these shops to not simply be places people occasionally visit, but instead are in a dynamic way being strategically used for the work of the Kingdom.

Partnering
We will be seeking to draw local churches on board to become stake holders in these opportunities, and get involved through prayer, volunteering and financial support. We are holding buffet lunches in 20 centres around the UK where Christian leaders will be invited for a buffet lunch and our team will be presenting our vision for the future.

YOU CAN HELP MAKE IT HAPPEN
To help this initiative become a reality, we are hoping that people throughout the country will want to be involved. We would be delighted to send you more information about the vision, and to receive a brochure, please call 01277 365398 (Option 4).

The brochure is available for download (14 page pdf, 1.7MB) and Andy’s full contact info may be found in the press release (pdf, 283kb) from which the above is taken.



 

January 26, 2010

Living Oasis: A new and exciting vision for your local Christian Bookshop

Posted by Phil Groom under Christian Bookshops, News | Tags: , , , |
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The following message was sent out yesterday to supporters and friends of Wesley Owen Harrow:

Dear Friends

‘Living Oasis’ – A new and exciting vision for your local Christian Bookshop:

I am delighted to be able to tell you that although Wesley Owen in Harrow will be closing very soon, a plan has been proposed to reopen under new ownership and with a new trading name as soon as possible and hopefully within the next few weeks.

Along with a number of other Wesley Owen stores, we have been approached by the Nationwide Christian Trust with a proposal to allow us to continue trading for the next few months and then to move forward to extend the work we do to support the Church. The proposals made are very exciting and very much in line with the vision we have held as the way forward for Christian bookshops.

The following is an extract taken from the brochure produced by the Nationwide Christian Trust and is presented for your consideration:

The vision is to provide a Church presence on the high street to connect with Christians and non Christians alike.

The mission objective is to provide resources for the Church as they seek to impact their local communities. Looking at the life of Jesus we see a man out in the market place engaging with people as they went about their daily routines. This is our vision for the ‘Living Oasis’ venues.

Christian bookshops have previously held a narrow focus resulting in reduced viability. We will be looking at each store seeking to create a place relevant to the surrounding area and working in that context. We will be working with the store manager and local Christians to explore ways to increase footfall and to use the store outside normal hours for imaginative projects and events. We will also be seeking to envision local people toward ways of thinking that move us from maintenance to mission with centres being used in a dynamic and strategic way for the work of the Kingdom. We will be seeking to draw local Churches on board to become stakeholders in these opportunities and become involved in a number of ways.

The proposals for our store include the following possibilities to run alongside the bookshop:

  • Coffee shop to be open to all – Christian and non Christian
  • Lounge area – to be used, for example, by Church youth groups
  • Children’s Play Area – a supervised and safe place for children whilst Mum/Dad relaxes or does some shopping in peace and quiet!
  • Meeting room for Church use
  • Prayer ministry facility

In order to make this succeed and become a centre that is relevant to the Church in our area, we need your input and support. The decision to go ahead will depend on the level of enthusiasm, interest and support you are willing to give! So, if you share our vision and sense the value of maintaining a Christian presence on the high street we would encourage you to get involved to ensure that we can take this vision forward. It will not happen without you!

To provide you with further information we invite our Church Leaders/Church Representatives/Youth Leaders etc to a lunchtime meeting at which refreshments will be provided. A representative from the Nationwide Christian Trust will give a presentation and there will be opportunity for questions to be asked and contributions to be made. Venue and date will be advised asap.

Thank you so much for your faithful prayers. Let’s not let this God given opportunity slip through our fingers.

Many thanks and blessings

Pauline

Pauline Banks: Manager
Dionysia Ayeni: Assistant Manager

Wesley Owen Books and Music
11 Masons Avenue
Harrow HA3 5AH
020 8861 3259

Interested parties are invited to contact the shop on the above number or to contact Pauline Banks directly.

A final plea from a friend of the shop:

If people could take this to their churches and church leaders and let everybody know, if we don’t get what the Nationwide Christian Trust deem to be a high enough level of interest then we will leave the high street possibly never to return again, the shop in Watford are looking for the same kind of support.

Thanks

 

January 25, 2010

Mother and son join forces to save Walsall’s Christian Bookshop

Posted by Phil Groom under Christian Bookshops, News | Tags: , , , , , , , |
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The Hub, Walsall - Press Release (pdf, 1.3MB)

Mother and son team, Christine and Luke Bunger, have today announced plans to save the former Wesley Owen Christian bookshop in Walsall. The shop ceased trading this weekend, one of the casualties of parent company IBS-STL UK’s collapse into administration shortly before Christmas 2009.

Christine Bunger was manager of Wesley Owen Walsall, where Luke, a frequent commenter on this blog, worked on a part-time basis. Luke was also responsible for the branch twitter stream, @wowalsall. The new store, The Hub Christian Resource Centre Ltd, is expected to open in mid-February, trading from the same premises in the Crossing at St Paul’s to continue a longstanding legacy of Christian retailing in the town. The Beacon Bookshop, Walsall’s first Christian bookshop, became part of the Scripture Union group before Wesley Owen took over operations. Luke, who takes on the role of Operational Manager of the new company, explains:

It’s a legacy which we were not ready to see come to an end. We believe that there is a market for what we offer, and the response from our customers and local Churches has certainly confirmed this for us. We are delighted that these plans rescue the shop, and open a new chapter in the history of the store.

Discussions [with suppliers] are ongoing but we are confident that the time frame we are working towards is both realistic, and achievable. We are very fortunate to be in a position where our suppliers, landlords and customers all believe so strongly in what we do. Without their support, none of this would have been possible. We are absolutely delighted by the responses we have received from all corners.

The Revd Mark Kinder, Priest-in-Charge of St Paul’s (which owns the shop unit), oversaw a large part of the fundraising initiative that has made the planned relaunch possible. He said:

The support has been truly fantastic. The local Churches have really got behind the management team, and offered their support, both financially and through their ongoing usage of the new shop. We are really excited about what the future has in store for The Hub and Saint Paul’s Church.

The Hub aims to become a one-stop-shop that will equip and support the local Christian community, stocking a wide range of Christian books, music, resources and gifts.

 

January 23, 2010

“The short-sightedness of helping an industry cause its own collapse is staggering.”

Posted by Phil Groom under Book Trade Ramblings, Bookshops, Musings... | Tags: , , , , , , , , |
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I spotted this on the Times online, an ad in the header of last Saturday’s article about Christian bookshops, The call goes out to keep Jesus on the High Street:

The short-sightedness of helping an important industry to cause its own collapse is staggering.

"The short-sightedness of helping an industry cause its own collapse is staggering" — Frank Pope

It’s an excerpt from an article about overfishing of bluefin tuna, which begins:

Two weeks ago a single bluefin tuna sold in Japan for a surreal £111,000. The price of this fish, which ends up in the best sushi restaurants, will carry on rocketing so long as the tuna population keeps plummeting.

It struck me as remarkably apposite for the book trade too: not just the Christian trade, but the wider trade. This week we’ve been having a lively debate about the pros and cons of publishers promoting Amazon in their advertising: A Polite Request to Christian (and other) Publishers: Please don’t do this; and I’m delighted to say that the Evangelical Press, whose posters gave rise to the discussion, have acknowledged their gaffe and apologised.

But I still find myself looking at Amazon askance as publishers seem to cave in to their ever more extortionate demands, supplying them at terms that allow them to sell at below trade or wholesale prices. Did someone forget to put up the warning sign: “Do not feed the troll”? Or are most publishers really that short-sighted that all they can see is the immediate sale and not the long term future?

Of course, it’s not just Amazon and the publishers: it’s the buying public. I’ve long since lost track of the number of people who wander into my shop, tell me how much they enjoy being able to look at a book before buying it — then promptly go off to purchase it online. Hello? Wakey wakey, people: how long do you think your local bookshop will survive if you treat it as nothing more than a showroom for Amazon?

There are notable exceptions, customers who call in, tell me that they know they can get a book cheaper online but they appreciate the service I provide; my thanks to them: you know who you are, and I salute you.

Then we have the rise of the ebook. They still occupy a relatively small sector of the marketplace: I’ve yet to see more people on the train with their ebook readers out than with paperbacks; but with Apple’s rumoured iTablet on the horizon, the tide may be about to turn and all those books we’ve buried in the sand may be sucked out to sea, where, with the bluefin tuna, they’ll be fished to extinction.

Or if not to extinction, to the point where they’re so rare that the only bookshops left will be like those top sushi restaurants, selling paperback books for £111,000…

 

January 22, 2010

Wesley Owen: More closures, but hope for Chester?

Posted by Phil Groom under News | Tags: , , , , , , |
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Despite ongoing conversations with the Nationwide Christian Trust, I’m told that this weekend will see another four five of the abandoned branches of Wesley Owen — Chester, Dundee, Inverness, Macclesfield and Walsall — finally cease trading. That leaves branches of CLC in Dundee and Inverness, but no overtly Christian retail presence in the other three towns, and more Christian booksellers unemployed: please continue to pray for all the staff and their families.

In Chester, however, things may be less bleak than these pictures of the former SPCK bookshop appear to suggest:

Former SPCK Bookshop, Chester: Empty Card Racks Former SPCK Bookshop, Chester: Empty Shelves Former SPCK Bookshop, Chester: More Empty Shelves
Empty shelves in the former SPCK Bookshop, Chester
(Photos taken Thursday January 21st, 2010)

Chester is home to eden.co.uk, the UK’s (and probably Europe’s) biggest online Christian retailer, and last weekend Gareth Mulholland, Eden’s owner, indicated that they’re involved in discussions with friends and church leaders about the future of Christian retail in the city. If you live in the area and would like to take part in those discussions, you can request membership of the Chester Christian Bookshop facebook discussion group.

Responding to concerns that Eden might be branching out into bricks & mortar retailing, Gareth said:

There are lots of creative ideas being floated around. They generally involve collaboration, community and shared ownership – none of them involve Eden.co.uk setting up its own bookshop.

Please pray for Gareth and everyone involved in those discussions.

Adapted from Removals Fairies Strike at former SPCK Bookshop, Chester. Thanks to the intrepid SPCK/SSG photographer for the pics.

Disclosure notice: the link to eden.co.uk featured in this post is an affiliate link. If you use it and then proceed to make a purchase, eden will pay a small commission to the UK Christian Bookshops Directory. Thank you.
 

January 21, 2010

Nationwide Christian Trust Confirmed as Bidders for Remaining Wesley Owen Stores

Posted by Phil Groom under Christian Bookshops, News | Tags: , |
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Nationwide Christian Trust

Nationwide Christian Trust

Nationwide Christian Trust have confirmed that they are in discussions over a possible rescue mission to save at least some of the remaining Wesley Owen stores.

Although no official announcement can be made at this stage, important meetings are taking place around the country with concerned parties in bookshops and local churches and the Trust would be grateful for all prayer support as they seek God’s will and the right way forward.

The Nationwide Christian Trust — based at Mulberry House in High Ongar, Essex — exists “to help people find The Lord and strengthen them in their spiritual lives through books, DVD’s, CD’s and Christian greeting cards” and aims to work in partnership with local churches throughout the UK, a combination which appears to make this rescue mission a natural relationship.

 

January 20, 2010

A Polite Request to Christian (and other) Publishers: Please don’t do this

Posted by Phil Groom under Book Trade Ramblings, Christian Publishers, News | Tags: , , , , , , , , |
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Evangelical Press on facebook: Order at Amazon

EP Books on facebook - order at amazon.co.uk

I know it’s tempting. I know they’re probably your biggest outlet in today’s world. But really, truly, Amazon don’t need your help to boost their market share: they’re taking it from the rest of us anyway, along with the supermarkets with all their cut-price paperbacks.

Kudos to Evangelical Press for launching a national railways poster campaign:  it’s great to see a Christian publisher prepared to invest in this kind of marketing:

Posters for the book ‘Who made God?’ are being put up on Febraury [sic] 1st at the following major train stations: Bristol Parkway, Bristol Temple Meads, Cardiff Central, Doncaster, Glasgow Central, Liverpool Central, Manchester Oxford Road, Manchester Victoria, Peterborough and York. Keep an eye out.

But why the big Amazon push? Amazon aren’t interested in promoting a Christian ethos: they’ll just as happily sell your prospective customers Dawkins’ God Delusion and tell them what a fantastic book that is.

Fair enough, I guess, if Amazon are sponsoring the posters; but if that’s what this is about, surely a better way to raise funds for a poster campaign would have been to approach the Christian book trade? I’m not in a position to bankroll this sort of campaign; but if I’d been approached I’d have gladly blogged it to the trade and encouraged others to run with it.

But I’d be very surprised if Amazon are sponsoring the posters. So — assuming it is free publicity for an online bookseller that everybody knows about already — why not publicise a Christian online bookseller such as eden.co.uk?

I raised that question on their facebook page — here’s the conversation so far:

Phil Groom: I guess there wasn’t room on the poster to say “Order at your local Christian bookshop”??

EP Books (Evangelical Press): We want to get this one into every bookshop Phil. Christian bookshops have had a five month head start and all the advertising in the Christian media pointed to them

Phil Groom: Thanks for coming back to me. I hear what you say … but if that’s the case, why not, “Order at your local bookshop”? Surely that would be more helpful to the wider trade? Do amazon need you to help boost their market share?

We’re all in this together and whilst amazon are not the enemy, they do nothing to promote a Christian ethos. If you wanted to promote an online seller, why not eden.co.uk as a fellow Christian outlet? Just my thoughts for what they’re worth…

I’m hoping they’ll come back to me again, that that’s not the end of the conversation; but in the meantime, what do you think? Are we ready to stand together as a trade to support something like this, retailers and publishers working together? Isn’t this essentially what the Stronger Together – Weaker Apart campaign is all about?

Imagine hundreds of Christian retailers standing together and saying, “Here’s £xx towards the publicity drive: we’ll commit to stocking this book.” Imagine the publisher responding in kind and offering us the trade discount they normally reserve for Amazon and their ilk. Imagine that poster saying, “Order at your local Christian bookshop: www.christianbookshops.org.uk” — what an amazing boost for all of us! What a way to start a new decade!

Following through on Amy’s request: authors, artists, agents too: what do you think? Are you happy to see publishers promoting your books on Amazon or would you prefer to see them promoting sales through the shops? Is there any reason not to promote both?

Publishers, I urge you: please don’t do this! Unless, of course, you’ve already decided that bookshops are history; because the more you promote Amazon, the weaker we become and the more Amazon will demand from you. Continue to let the tail wag the dog and one day that tail’s liable to turn into a serpent that bites your head off…

Finally, it would be remiss of me not to thank those publishers and suppliers who are supporting us: thank you; and in closing, h/t to Melanie Carroll for flagging this up on twitter:

Unicorn Tree Books unicorntreebks RT: @EPBooks: Posters for the book ‘Who made God?’ at major train stations:… http://bit.ly/6Zg9Bs
another publisher not supprting shops
19/01/2010 from Echofon
Disclosure notice: the link to eden.co.uk featured in this post is an affiliate link. If you use it and then proceed to make a purchase, eden will pay a small commission to the UK Christian Bookshops Directory. Thank you.
 

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