The Christian Bookshops Blog

THE DEATH OF JOHN STOTT is undoubtedly a massive loss to the world of Christian bookselling and publishing as well as to the wider church. Please feel welcome to post any tributes to him here. (more…)

Network Leeds: Living Oasis Update - Latest on new premises

INTRIGUING POSSIBILITIES for the remaining Living Oasis stores are opening up as Ray George has advised workers at the Leeds store of his intention “to withdraw from Christian retail”. Writing to prospective supporters via Network Leeds, Karen Spence, store manager, explains:

At 9.30 on Friday 15^th July Ray George, Chairman of the Nationwide Christian Trust called us to say that, with regret, he would be unable to take the vision for Leeds forward. He has taken a hard decision to withdraw from Christian retail and only Harrogate and South Woodford are still trading. These shops are also seeking future funding. We express our gratitude that Ray took on 19 former Wesley Owen shops following the demise of STL. He would still like to see the full Living Oasis vision of coffee shop, books and meeting rooms come to fruition in Leeds and Liverpool. The latter has managed to secure local funding which means it can move forward at new premises on Lord Street. Our priority in Leeds is to keep 77 Albion Street and see if there is any way we can take over the lease.

• Read the full story

The official Living Oasis Locations page (screenshot below) now shows only three stores in the group — Harrogate, South Woodford and Watford — but the site continues to offer no news or information about proposals for further closures or developments. Watford’s future, however, appears to be fairly secure in the store’s effective partnership with Presence and with the support of Christian Gateway Watford:  updates are being posted both in their news section and via their facebook group.

Writing on facebook, Dominic Stinchcombe of the South Woodford store has announced that the shop will cease trading on July 30th, but offers the hope of “another party” taking the business over:

Living Oasis South Woodford ceases trading at close of business on Saturday 30th July. Negotiations and prayers continue with another party interested in taking us over, so do pray that the necessary finance is forthcoming. Thanks to all our customers, to those who have asked for ministry, and to those who have ministered us, especially the deep theological discussions!! It has been a privelege [sic] to serve you all.

Living Oasis Liverpool remain optimistic and Anna Bunn, the store manager, assures me that they are “doing everything that we can to get the store up and running … it’s where we will be updating from now on. So all I can say for now is keep checking www.livingoasisliverpool.co.uk for updates on what’s happening.”

Andy Twilley, who was Nationwide Christian Trust’s Director of Christian Life and Ministry and headed up the Living Oasis project, is reported to have left the company. No official announcement of his departure appears to have been made.

At the time of preparing this report no news had been received about the Harrogate store.

Living Oasis Locations, July 2011

• Join the conversation on facebook

NEWS EMERGED this weekend of another closure as Living Oasis Manchester reportedly closed its doors for the last time on Saturday, and Leeds has issued a last-ditch shout out for help on facebook, announcing that they are “exploring other options” as Nationwide Christian Trust prepares to withdraw support:

Living Oasis Leeds: facebook announcement, 19/07/2011: As of last Friday morning, it is becoming increasingly unlikely that NCT are able to support the Leeds vision going forward...

The company’s difficulties have been well charted both here and by the Bookseller, with their latest report citing Ray George describing Harrogate as the only viable store:

Living Oasis Cheltenham shut up shop last Friday (8th July), becoming the chain’s fifth closure in four weeks. Ray George, the chain’s owner, said only the Harrogate branch is making money. On average the recently closed stores were losing £2,000–£4,000 a month, which George said was ­unsustainable.

The report also cites Eddie Olliffe, who observes succinctly:

I think the model was flawed—to rely on financial support from the church community I think was naïve, because churches themselves are struggling and perhaps do not have the resources or the vision.

An earlier report states that staff in Cheltenham were given only two days notice, which sadly seems to typify the lack of respect NCT has shown to its staff, a factor that has no doubt contributed to the company’s demise as bookseller morale has crumbled.

As of the date of this report, only Harrogate, South Woodford and Watford appear to remain trading, with Liverpool still in limbo pending completion of its “Phase 2″ redevelopment as it continues to seek investors. The claim to be “one of a growing, national chain of stores” has been removed from the Who We Are page and — with an interesting change in emphasis — the store now describes itself as “working in partnership with Nationwide Christian Trust”.

To end on a positive note, congratulations to Rob Chandler, a former staff member from Nottingham, on a very successful secondhand books-and-more sale held at Sherwood Methodist Church on Saturday:

Todays sale went ever so very well! I’m stunned as well as a bit worn out. Sold lots and lots of books, two guitars and a train set! Big thanks to all who donated books and to helpers and customers. Next one booked for Saturday 24th September, again at Sherwood Methodist. No plans beyond that so far.

If you’re in Nottingham, please book that date in your diary now and let’s see what the future brings…

Further to the post earlier this week on the situation from CTS in regards to the low trade discount more worrying news has been highlighted for the wider trades attention.

Comments posted by John Gaines of Footprints first raised the issue:

Shall we all apply to become Parish Distributors?
Then we would get 25%!!
So they will give Joe Public, who register as Parish Distributors, 15% more discount than retailers.
Come on CTS, we do not run our shops to become worldly rich, but serve our Lord. Why are you trying so hard to hurt Christian Booksellers in the UK?

and then followed up by Stephen Mosling of St Pauls:

… depending which combination of Altar Missals they purchase, they stand to get in excess of 12% discount. Therefore, parishes are getting a better deal than the trade. Thankfully, we have a number of very loyal customers who are purchasing thier Missals through us (in the full knowledge that they will receive no discount – and the reason for us not being able to give it) for which we are very grateful. They simply refuse to deal directly with CTS.

Not only was Fergal’s comment patronising in the extreme (as one retailer put it, we should “be satisfied with crumbs from the Master’s table”), if CTS is giving them 25% on the ancilliary materials, it shows no intention on their part to support the trade in any shape or form.

Pope Benedict wrote in his Encyclical Letter “Caritas in veritate”:
“Once profit becomes the exclusive goal, if it is produced by improper means and without the common good as its ultimate end, it risks destroying wealth and creating poverty.”

it would certainly seem to appear that CTS are not only not working with Bookshops in a favourable way but actually actively working against them. This really is a sad state of affairs and tarnishes the illusion of any sort of support of Christian Bookselling through physical shops across the UK – Today The Book Depository was still showing a 25% discount off an item claimed to be a non-negotiable 10% to the bookshop trade in the UK.

The sad thing is this worrying situation is just the short end of the long tail it would seem, as became apparent when the MPH hymn book situation was also raised by Andrew Lacey of Glo Bookshops earlier this week. One really begins to wonder when some of the publishing companies, be they books or other, are going to actually come out, be honest and actually admit that they no longer see the physical bookshops as a partner and instead see them merely as competition in the pursuit of  of profit.

I would again call on all publishers and suppliers to head over to the Christian Retailing facebook page and read the suppliers pledge, to look at the words and think long and hard on what it means to work together, to be stronger together as was once proposed.

This especially at a time when the the PA and IPG have started to work together to oppose the Amazon takeover of The Book Depository and  according to The Bookseller are:

Going further, Mollet said more should be done to investigate the fairness of the market share internet-only retailers have in comparison to physical bookshops. He said: “Whatever the decision in this particular case, we feel it is high time that competition authorities took a closer interest in the developments of the book retail market”

Though the particular situations we are discussing here do not totally revolve around internet only retailers the ethics at the heart of the situation surely remains the same and is something that must be questioned by any that espouse to believe in fairness, right doing and integrity I would propose.

In a comment under the post on the low discount to trade from CTS on the new Altar Missals a concerning trend has been found, highlighted and raised – one that crosses denominational boundaries and publishing houses and is perhaps of even more concern than the very low discount being given from CTS.

Andrew Lacey of Glo Bookshop posted:

A further addition to the Church Hymnary pot….

It seems that the new ‘Singing the Faith’ Methodist Hymn book, shortly to be distributed by Hymns Ancient & Modern for the Methodist Publishing House, will also not be available with any trade discount either! Apparently there is an introductory discount of approx 15% being offered direct to churches & online, but there will be no further discount AT ALL provided to Bookshops.

https://secure2.cyberware.co.uk/~cb537/acatalog/Singing_the_Faith.html

(just as an aside, note that customers cards will be charged NOW, rather than when the goods are despatched in SEPTEMBER- anyone tried that with a retail customer recently? What response did you get?!

A very helpful lady at MPH apologetically explained to me that no decision had yet been taken on any trade discount after the introductory offer expired in December 2011. This, of course, follows the pretty meagre discounts that were offered by HA&M on the Church of Scotland Hymnary 4th edition- although, in fairness to HA&M, they did help us once so we could match advertised prices.

It is hugely frustrating that these captive markets are effectively being creamed off by publishers, and bookshops are being very efficiently sidelined. Especially when we are the people who often do the work for the customer in making phone calls and trawling the web- and the only people who will benefit is the publisher.

It will also be interesting to see whether the Methodist Hymn Book turns up on the Book Depository lists at even larger disounts in due course……..

This is, as Andrew has said, deeply concerning as it effectively shows that bookshops are not only being sidelined but actively excluded from being in a position to serve their local communities and supply them – communities that in many cases want to support their local bookshops and that the local bookshops have spent years working alongside them through changes of all types and in every day times as well – to see the publishing houses of these institutions and those chosen to represent them now seemingly actively sidelining these shops is  more than a deeply concerning issue and brings so many questions to bear – not least what has happened to the trade at large and how can we actively and corporately resolve this troubling trend and crisis.

This at a time when US based Christian Retailing Magazine have on their Facebook Page put out a call for Suppliers to sign up to the Supplier Pledge alongside Christian Retailers signing up to the Retailers Pledge posted of earlier.

The pledge reads:

I have been called to be part of extending God’s kingdom through the creation of Christian products that can change lives. While this calling means that I want to see these resources distributed as widely as possible, I believe that I enjoy a unique partnership in this endeavor with Christian retailers. Independent, church and other Christian retail stores are community lighthouses that share my ministry goal. I believe in the ministry of Christian retailers and want to work with and support them as much as possible. I will seek to honor my Lord in my business with the efforts of my hands, my heart, my staff and my commitment to His Word. I love Christian products and I thank God for my calling.

So far Caritas Music Publishing has signed up – maybe it’s time we actively call on all our UK Suppliers and Publishing Houses to also make a public commitment of support for the Christian Retailers trying to so hard to support them and the local Christian communities they actively work alongside of.

FURTHER UPSET over the very low discount being offered to Christian Bookshops by the Catholic Truth Society on the New Altar Missals that all Catholic Churches will soon require was again raised when Internet Bookseller, The Book Depository, was seen to be offering the Missals at 25% off – an offer no other bookshop could seemingly match.

Stephen Moseling, Operations Co-ordinator for St Pauls Bookshops was quick to raise the issue with Mr Fergal Martin, the Society’s General Secretary, on behalf of all concerned booksellers.

Dear Fergal,

I am disappointed that you have not had the courtesy to reply to my email of 24th May, in which I expressed my dissatisfaction that you were not willing to meet with the signatories of the open letter sent to you to even discuss the discount policy of the CTS on the forthcoming Altar Missals. I understand that the other signatories to our original letter have received no further communication from you either.

What we have now seen on the website of The Book Depository http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/Altar-Missal/9781860827297 makes us even more aggrieved. The Book Depository are offering their online customers each of the three editions of the Altar Missal at a 25% discounted price, with free delivery.

As you well appreciate, an online retailer does not have the same level of overheads that a high street retailer does.

We understood the policy of the CTS was to offer a “non-negotiable” 10% discount to the trade. This unacceptable level of discount prohibits bookshops from stocking these books and thereby making them available to their customers.

In the light of what The Book Depository are offering, how can you now justify the discount policy of the CTS to bookshops?

Yours in Christ,

Stephen T Moseling
Operations Co-ordinator
ST PAULS by Westminster Cathedral
Morpeth Terrace
London
SW1P 1EP

The Book Depository has itself been in the news recently of course when it was announced last week that an agreement had been reached between themselves and Amazon that would see them come under the ownership of Amazon – thus giving market share indeed to Amazon here in the UK and also increasing Amazon’s reach into Australia and Europe.

Sign the Christian Retailing Pledge!

CHRISTIAN RETAILING MAG has issued a shout out via facebook to the world’s Christian retailers to “sign the Christian Retailing Pledge and commit to the ministry of Christian resources”:

I believe in the power of Christian products to change lives. I believe I am called to be part of this ministry through Christian retailing. Times may have changed, but my calling has not. I believe that the body of Christ still needs strong Christian retailers. So I will not quit. I will not give up. I have faith. I will believe. I am willing to change to better meet the needs of my community, customers, employees and suppliers. I will help others to succeed. I will seek to honor my Lord in my business with the efforts of my hands, my heart, my staff, my store and my commitment to His Word. I love Christian retailing and I thank God for my calling.

If you’re up for it, head on over to facebook today and add your name to the list; and if, like me, you’re no longer a retailer yourself, head on over there and pledge your support as a customer — because without us as customers, the retailers’ pledges are in vain.

MORE SAD NEWS for the former Wesley Owen booksellers working with Living Oasis has emerged via the Bookseller today as Lisa Campbell reports on the imminent closure of the Weston-super-Mare branch:

The Bookseller, 04/07/2011: Living Oasis announces third closure in 10 days

Christian book chain Living Oasis has announced its third store closure in just over a week, with Weston-super-Mare the latest branch to cease trading.

Ray George, head of the Nationwide Christian Trust, which owns the chain, said the shop will close “within two weeks”, making two staff redundant.

This follows the closure of the Nottingham and Worthing branches just over a week ago, where seven people in total lost their jobs. In March and May, Living Oasis also announced it was shutting six other branches, including Edinburgh. The new closures reduce the once 19-strong book chain, all formerly Wesley Owen bookshops, to just 10… Read the full report >>

By my count, however, we’re now down to 8 branches, of which only 6 are currently trading:

• Cheltenham, Gloucestershire
• Chester, Cheshire
• Harrogate, North Yorkshire
• Leeds, West Yorkshire*
• Liverpool, Merseyside*
• Manchester
• South Woodford, London
• Watford, Hertfordshire

* Leeds and Liverpool remain temporarily closed pending “Phase 2″ developments.

Official List of Branches | My Overview

Whatever the count, however, it’s a tragedy for everyone caught up in it…

Holiday time...

JULY ALREADY: the sun is shining, Wimbledon is over for Andy Murray, and the holiday season is upon us, oh yes, but there’s still plenty happening in and around the Christian book trade. Don’t forget to shout out with your news if you’d like to be included in the next news roundup… and if you’d like to keep up to speed with the news as it emerges, follow the UKCBD twitter feed:

• 4th July is UK Independents’ Day
• Cambridge Bibles publish first English Language flipback®
• Christian Marketplace news roundup
• From Mental Illness to Christian Bookshop Owner: Paul Slennett’s Story
• IVP Summer Reading Sale Now On!
• Living Oasis Update: Julie Jowett leaves Harrogate for Spain; Liverpool plans September Opening
• Maggi Dawn on the move
• Scam Warning from Sovereign World
• Social Media Update: Look who’s tweeting (and more)

Independents' Day: Your High Street Needs You! Click through for more info and poster download options...

4th July is UK Independents’ Day

ARE YOU READY? Have you put a poster up? If not, now’s the time to grab one because Monday 4th July is Independents’ Day — atrocious wordplay but a superb initiative from Skillsmart Retail to try to bring some footfall back to the UK’s indie retailers. Anne Seaman, Skillsmart Retail’s Chief Executive, explains the thinking behind the campaign:

We are delighted to lead this campaign and support small retailers. Raising awareness amongst the public is one of the biggest challenges smaller retailers face and our message is about encouraging the public to use their local high street and understand how important a diverse retail sector is.

It’s also essential that local retailers understand that to compete today they need to be top of their game. The time for sitting back has passed and action is required: Your high street needs you!

Find out more and get involved:

• facebook.com/Independentsday
• skillsmartretail.com/independentsday
• Follow @Retail_IndieDay

h/t Amanda Taylor, Cambridge Bibles

Cambridge Bibles publish first English Language flipback®

The Transetto Bible

CONGRATULATIONS to Cambridge Bibles on becoming the publisher of the first English language flipback®, the Transetto: a new, ultra-compact edition of the King James Version Bible that breaks with tradition by opening vertically rather than horizontally. Published, of course, with the much-publicised 400th KJV Anniversary in mind, the Transetto is available in special trade packs of nine copies plus one free if you request the POS display tower: orders via Lion Hudson.

For those who are beginning to feel that they’ve already seen more editions of the KJV this year than their sanity can handle, don’t panic: more English language flipbacks have just emerged hot off the press from Hodder:

• flipbackbooks.com
• facebook.com/flipbacks

Christian Marketplace news roundup

The latest Christian Marketplace news roundup is out, along with a report detailing all the Christian Resources Together 2011 Award Winners: Stott wins Book of the Year award. Congratulations especially to CLC London and Quench Maidenhead, Large and Small Retailers of the Year respectively.

From Mental Illness to Christian Bookshop Owner: Paul Slennett’s Story

PAUL SLENNETT’S REMARKABLE STORY has made local headlines in the Yellow Advertiser, Bookseller marks 40 years in the business:

A BOOKSHOP owner celebrated 40 years in the business with a message of hope.
Paul Slennett, who runs Christian bookshops in Southend, Chelmsford and Brentwood, said: “I put my trust in God and he helped me turn my life around. He can do the same for anyone.”
The 64-year-old has come a long way from the youngster who ended up in a psychiatric ward, confused and depressed.
Now, as well as the shops, Mr Slennett is behind the Jesus is Alive Mission, which supports overseas aid work, is an author and happily married with four grown-up children who all work with charities.
He said: “I was troubled as a child and teenager. But that all changed when I was in the mental hospital.
“God came to me and said he would be my father and guide, as long as I did what he asked.
“I have done that, and have had a fantastic life as a result.”
After he was made redundant from a job at a ships’ chandlers ‘which was taking up far too much of my time’, God told Mr Slennett that he wanted him to open a Christian bookshop in Southend…

• Read the full story

IVP Summer Reading Sale Now On!

IVP’S SUMMER SALE has started, with up to 50% trade discount off selected biography and fiction titles from 1st July to 31st August. To qualify, place an initial order for any mix of 20 or more of the offer titles: download the trade flyer (pdf) for details.

Living Oasis Update: Julie Jowett leaves Harrogate for Spain; and Liverpool plans September Opening

Mike and Julie Jowett at El Palmeral

IT’S NOT ONLY farewell to Nottingham and Worthing today, but also farewell to Julie Jowett, who has now left Living Oasis Harrogate and her role as the company’s National Sales Manager for what looks very much like a real oasis as she joins her husband at El Palmeral, a retreat/guest house for the over-25s in Spain, tried and tested by none other than Mike Norbury. Congratulations, Julie, and very best wishes for the new venture.

Meanwhile Living Oasis Liverpool have posted photos of the shop’s interior on facebook, announced a proposed opening date of some time in September and now have their own dedicated website, livingoasisliverpool.co.uk. At present they’re still facing £20k budget deficit but remain optimistic and are advertising for investors to help meet the shortfall:

We need to raise just 20,000 pounds more and we have the finance to complete phase 1. If you would like to contribute please contact the store.

There’s optimism and there’s optimism, however: the who we are page describes the shop as being “one of a growing, national chain of stores” — an interesting claim, given the last 6 months of store closures; but unlike the stores that have closed, Liverpool does seem to have solid backing from the local Christian community:

The Liverpool store has its own steering group, chaired by Baptist Regional Minister Revd. Phil Jump and comprises representatives from NCT, local churches, representatives of groups and organisations already working in the city centre, and local Christians with a business background

Here’s to September and beyond!

The Accidental Pilgrim

Maggi Dawn on the move

CONGRATULATIONS to Maggi Dawn, author of a number of books — latest, The Accidental Pilgrim, due out in July — who is on the move to pastures new in the USA to take up an appointment as Dean of Marquand Chapel and Associate Professor of Theology at Yale Divinity School.

Hope they allow you plenty of time for your writing, Maggi!

Scam Warning from Sovereign World

PAUL STANIER of Sovereign World tells me that they had a close call with a scammer, but forewarned was forearmed and they avoided the pitfall. Paul writes:

I wondered if you could use your blog to warn Christian publishers and the trade in general over a scam that was successfully used against another Christian company and has been tried against Sovereign World (which failed, as we were pre-warned).

They use card details to pay for books, which appear to be authorised when processed (but it actually later fails in transaction at the bank end, as the card is usually reported stolen). You think you have their trust, so when they ask you to pay for their shipping cost via Western Union to the shipping company that they allocate (their shipping company won’t accept cards) it seems legitimate. The buyer pays for the shipping to you via card, and you then think you are safe to pay on the buyers behalf the shipping company via Western Union. But no… you are not safe because the credit card payment never makes it to your account, and you pay a stranger about £1500 (not a legit shipping company) to Western Union, which is not traceable. They take the Western Union money, disappear and your card payments don’t go through… You lose £1500.

I am wanting to warn the Christian trade, as they appear to be targeting us.

Social Media Update: Look who’s tweeting (and more)

A BRIEF SNAPSHOT: if you haven’t already found them, you can now:

• Blog with Geoff Wallace of Marantha, Uxbridge, at myshopblog
• Explore Kingsway’s New Release catalogues at issuu.com/kingsway
• Follow the Booksellers Association and Books Alive, Hove, on twitter: Follow @BAbooksellers Follow @BooksAlive86
• Get to know Buxton Christian Bookshop on facebook

Last but not least: don’t miss the Quench Bookshops blog: a superb example of a Christian bookshop using WordPress.

Twitter, Facebook, Issuu and WordPress are all free services — if you’re not using them to engage with your customers and boost your shop’s online profile, it’s time to get up to speed. If you don’t understand why, pay a visit to Vicky Beeching’s new blog, CyberSoul. For more and more people, the supposed distinction between the “real” and “virtual” worlds is becoming an increasingly false dichotomy — head on over there today and join the conversation where spirituality meets technology … or collides with it, as the case may be…