Category Archives: Independent Booksellers

URC Bookshop Overwhelmed by Response to Final Clearance Sale

Posted on November 22, 2010 by | 1 Comment

THE URC BOOKSHOP announced its final farewell sale this month with an online stock clearance at discounts of up to 70% — and promptly suspended operations due to “unprecedented demand”. The sale was announced on facebook at 14.49 on 10 November and suspended less than 24 hours later at 13.55 on 11 November:

Thanks to everyone that has ordered books in the sale. However, our sale has been so popular that, due to unprecedented demand, we’ve had to suspend sales from the website. We plan to restart our sale early in the week beginning 15th November 2010 so you’ll have to hold your horses until then.

URC Bookshop: Sale suspended due to unprecedented demand

URC Bookshop: Closing down sale suspended due to unprecedented demand

The good news for any prospective bargain hunters is that the sale did indeed resume as advertised, at midday last Monday, 15 November — but only briefly. At the time of preparing this report, online sales have once again been suspended but are due to resume at 9.00am this morning, Monday, 22 November. The best deals have no doubt gone by now but it may still be worth checking out what’s left: books.urc.org.uk

The shop will finally close at the end of this year but URC specific product will remain available:

The URC bookshop will be closing at the end of 2010 (see the URC news article) due to financial pressures. Online and phone orders will continue until all stock is sold (orders will be processed subject to availability of stock). Returns will be processed as normal. After the closure of the bookshop, the URC will continue to sell all URC merchandise, including the Year Book, Prayer Handbook and the URC diary.

URC Bookshop: Closing down sale: Up to 70% off...

URC Bookshop: Closing down sale: Up to 70% off...

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When prayer is not enough: we need active co-operation

Posted on September 30, 2010 by | 7 Comments
URC News, 03 Sep 2010: URC bookshop closes its doors

URC bookshop closes its doors

NEWS HAS EMERGED* that the URC Bookshop, which advertised widely for a new manager and assistant manager earlier this year, has now closed down, having quietly closed its doors on Friday September 3rd. This puts the number of Christian bookshops known to have ceased trading on the most recent trade Day of Prayer at two: two independents that essentially stood alone and died alone.

Standing alone is, of course, what independents do. It’s what they like to do, it’s what they’re good at; and given the fate of the SPCK Bookshops and the breakup of Wesley Owen, there’s no guarantee of security in being part of a chain either. Given the state of play at LST, my own former employers, there is no security in being part of a larger institution either if that institution is not committed to bookselling as an essential part of its ministry.

But whilst acknowledging all of these points, I still find myself wondering whether working more closely together — treating one another as partners in mission rather than as competing businesses — could have made the difference that might have saved both the Fareham Well and the URC Bookshop?

We’ve talked about being ‘Stronger Together — Weaker Apart’ (see Joy McIlroy’s report Christian Resources Together Retailers and Suppliers Retreat: A Bookseller’s Perspective if you need a reminder) but whilst we’re good at singing together on retreat, we are still learning how to dance together in reality.

Christian Marketplace, October 2010: BA CBG and PA CSG columns

Christian Marketplace, October 2010

There are signs of hope, however: it’s encouraging to see that the PA Christian Suppliers Group now has its own column in Christian Marketplace, p.17, just over the page from the BA Christian Booksellers Group column, p.15.

Although both groups exist as subgroups within their own separate, commercial organisations, Christian publishers/suppliers and Christian booksellers/retailers are at last beginning to unite under a missional flag. Commercial considerations are not being ignored yet we are finding our ‘common thread’ (to steal from Doug Ross’ column title, which falls neatly between the CBG and CSG pages).

I look forward to the day when we see these two groups fully working together, not only talking about one another in the pages of a magazine but offering a constructive joint trade commentary, actively co-operating in a regenerated trade in reality as well as on retreat.

If you read nothing else in October’s Christian Marketplace, read those two columns, listen to their call, and make sure you’re part of it. Don’t leave it to the point when there are so few of us left that we have no choice about working together…

* h/t John Duncan, 29/9/2010

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Open Door prepares to open bookshop doors in October

Posted on September 16, 2010 by | 4 Comments

As mentioned yesterday, I invited Open Door Trading director Paul Mogford to tell us about their acquisition of and plans for the former Footprints bookshop in Middlesbrough.

Paul writes:

Open Door Bookshop: download the flyer (pdf, 115kb)

Open Door Bookshop: download the flyer (pdf, 115kb)

2010 looks like its going to be a busy year for Open Door Trading Ltd. Not only incorporating No Frontiers into our workload, we will be opening Open Door (Christian Bookshop) on October 9th. Based in the centre of Middlesbrough, we are buying the current Christian Bookshop (Footprints) run by John Gaines. There has been a Christian bookshop in Middlesbrough for many years – CLC then Footprints – now we pick up the baton to maintain a clear Christian witness on the high street. We will be building on the work done by faithful Christians over the years.

Open Door Trading currently supplies event and web retail services to Newfrontiers, No Frontiers and others, as well as other distribution services. We will be creating a friendly welcoming shop that is accessible to Christians as well as those who have not yet found faith. The store is on one of the main roads in town, near the bus station and a major shopping area. We’ll be stocking a good range of cards and gifts, as well as best selling and core books and music. Upstairs, we intend to open a quality second hand floor as an additional attraction to serious buyers.

The Christian bookshop trade has often faced significant issues; of late, major changes in suppliers, Amazon and other major online suppliers. Middlesbrough faces the additional issues of being regarded as one of the poorest areas in the country. It is reckoned that the town is well placed to be the worst affected by current government spending cuts (over 40% of employment is derived from council or government work).

So why is this a good time to buy a Christian bookshop? Well, it is clear that at times of national stress, many turn to faith and the Church for help — we want to reach out to non-Christians who are looking for someone beyond themselves. Secondly, there is a deep spiritual hunger in the UK: we want to supply resources that help churches and individuals reach out. Third, specialist knowledge and customer care opens up markets that don’t just want mass purchase: we have well trained specialist staff ready to serve! Fourth, there is a large demand in local churches to be well served – we will be going to our local churches, not just waiting for them to come to us.

Finally, it’s part of our overall plan to expand into all areas of Christian retailing – events, bookshop, web, who knows where else this journey will take us?!

Incidentally, our landlord is a Muslim – very gentle, very caring, very devout. But excited about having a Christian bookshop in one of his premises (as he has been with Footprints)! Strange hey? Who says God doesn’t move in mysterious ways!!!!!

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Farewell to The Well, Fareham: blame for demise placed on online competition and “the growth of cafe culture”

Posted on September 8, 2010 by | 4 Comments
"We are sorry to announce that the Well ceased trading as a Christian bookshop and café on 3 September 2010..."

The Well, Fareham: Ceased trading 3rd September 2010

THE WELL, FAREHAM, has become our latest casualty in the struggle to survive as shopping trends change.  According to a report at portsmouth.co.uk, the shop’s demise is attributable to both online competition and “the growth of cafe culture”, the very culture that Living Oasis and other recent initiatives such as Cornerstone, St Neots, are focusing on.

Sadly and particularly poignantly, the day The Well ceased trading was 3rd September 2010, the date of our latest Day of Prayer for the UK Christian book and retail trade, yet somehow the rest of us in the trade seem to have been unaware of this situation unfolding: an unfortunate lesson for all of us on the importance of networking, of sharing our difficulties and our joys and of keeping in touch with one another.

From the shop news page:

The Well closed its doors to customers for the last time on 3 September after the chair of trustees had led a short celebration of thanks for all those who have worked to make the Well such an important part in the lives of so many people over the past 10½  years. The Reverend Peter Hall (vice-Chairman of Christians Together in Fareham) then signalled the final closure with prayers of thanksgiving and a blessing for the future of the Well Charity.

Tough Questions…

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Day of Prayer #3: Reflections from Jersey: “We must never underestimate the power of prayer”

Posted on September 7, 2010 by | Leave a comment

Praying HandsHow was it for you? For me, last week’s Day of Prayer was wonderfully encouraging and I’d like to offer my personal thanks to everyone who took part. Whereas this time last year most of the online activity seemed to be via twitter, this year facebook took the lead: almost every time I logged on to facebook, someone within our trade had posted an update to say that they were praying or somebody else was. I invited Julie Buesnel to offer us some reflections from her perspective at one of our more far-flung outposts, Christian Solutions, Jersey:

Julie Buesnell, Christian Solutions, Jersey

Julie Buesnell, Christian Solutions, Jersey

Julie writes: We must never underestimate the power of prayer.

On Friday we had many people emailing in their support, not only for Christian Solutions; but also for the whole of the Industry. Customers came in and out throughout the day. Some prayed downstairs (one lady was here for her lunch hour) others walked around the shop quietly praying by themselves. Many of us across the Island of Jersey were united in Prayer for the whole of the industry. This shows the level of support that we have.

At one point the shop was so full of praying and buying Customers that I couldn’t get from one side of the shop to the other. We were greatly encouraged at the support that we received. We are indeed the Light in the Market Place and the day of prayer is so important. People are beginning to catch our vision, and realise that they don’t have to buy on Amazon to get a quick delivery. Deliveries to Jersey from our Suppliers are fantastic at the moment.

People are also realising that if they do buy from us instead of online and maybe, yes, pay a little more, what they are actually doing is supporting the mission side. We must be thankful to God for those people who are supporting us, and keep praying for those who don’t.

I was also contacted by the local Radio Station to give an interview at the most popular time of day 5.45pm, yes pm, not the usual 6.45 or 7.45am on a Sunday morning. It was a very short interview and I did feel cut off in my prime; but those who listened said I got the message across: praise God for that.

These days of prayer are so very important. Many people come into our shop searching for something, not always knowing what, but we can point them in the right direction and help them to find Jesus. Through the shop only last week, I met three people plus a mum who are searching for something, this has resulted in me taking them along to the local Christianity Explored course starting on 27th September at Pizza Express. It is for these people that we continue to put in all the hours, and it is all for the love of Jesus.

I look forward to the next day of prayer.

From the other end of the country…

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The Light Shines on in Shrewsbury: Illuminate Christian Bookshop now under new ownership

Posted on August 4, 2010 by | 2 Comments
Twitter update, 7th Aug 2010: Illuminate Trust Appeal Total £50.165. Praise the God of break through!! Please consider getting involved with mission on the high street.

ON MONDAY Phil Whittall, one time editor of Christian Marketplace (and who, as it happens, recruited yours truly as CM’s Web Reviews columnist, a role that has now come to an end, but that’s another story) announced that he is No longer a bookshop owner:

Today I edited my blog profile and removed the words ‘bookshop owner’. For the past 6 years I’ve been co-owner of Illuminate. There have been many good things except our finances. You can read about the vision here. Fortunately there are over 300 committed Christians in the town who want to keep it open and they’ve raised a staggering £48000 in a little over three weeks, enough to purchase the business.

While a number of practical details still need to work themselves out over the next few weeks and months essentially from the 1st August I made the shift from being a proprietor to landlord. We retain the freehold on the business and are proud to have a Christian bookshop and cafe, a Christian youthwork charity and a Christian money advice charity find a home in our 200 year old building.

Congratulations to all involved!

You can follow the ongoing story on twitter, via the Illuminate Christian media and cafe facebook page or by joining the Friends of Illuminate and Upper Room Café facebook groups — and I gather it’s not too late to become a non-profit shareholder if you’d like to become more directly involved.

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SPCK/SSG Two Years On: Reflections and Responses

Posted on June 26, 2010 by | 3 Comments

SPCK/SSG Two Years On: Reflections and Responses

Today, Saturday 26th June, 2010, marks the second anniversary of the SPCK/SSG blog. You’ll hear no trumpet fanfare, no roll of drums; and you’ll see no flags flying, no balloons, no fireworks to celebrate. But if you listen, carefully, you may well hear the sound of tears falling… yet listen more carefully still and you might just hear the sound of a baby crying.

Because out of the anguish and distress through which that blog was birthed, new life has emerged, new bookshops — perhaps even new ways of being bookshop — have been born. Those include:

I invited some of those who were involved in the SPCK/SSG crisis from the very beginning to offer us some reflections on where we are now: Melanie Carroll, former manager of SPCK Lincoln and spckonline.com before the Brewers destroyed them, and now owner of Unicorn Tree Books — also recently described by Eddie Olliffe as “one of the most original and inspirational trade bloggers” — and Valiant for Truth, a frequent commenter on the SPCK/SSG Blog who has been keeping a particularly close eye on the still ongoing situation at Durham Cathedral, have both kindly accepted that invitation.

To read their observations, head on over to SPCK/SSG: News, Notes & Info

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Bishop of Shrewsbury Joins Call to Save Illuminate Christian Bookshop

Posted on June 17, 2010 by | 4 Comments
Bishop of Shrewsbury meets shoppers at Illuminate Christian Bookshop

Bishop of Shrewsbury meets shoppers at Illuminate Christian Bookshop

The Bishop of Shrewsbury, the Rt Revd Mark Rylands, has added his voice to those calling for people to support Illuminate, the town’s Christian bookstore and café which — as reported last weekend — faces threat of closure if insufficient funds can be raised. Addressing shoppers at an all-day ‘meet & greet’, the Bishop said:

Illuminate has been facing an uncertain future in challenging economic times, so a group of people have joined together to form a Charitable Trust which will aim to guarantee the prosperity of the venture. Illuminate is more than a bookshop, more than a coffee shop and more than home to two Christian charities.

Illuminate is a light on the high street, a Christian presence in the centre of our town and a shop with a different ‘spirit’. Action is needed to keep the ministry going. So the Illuminate Trust will take on the management and running of Illuminate, but £60,000 needs to be raised by 9th July to achieve this objective.

The Trust is selling non-profit shares at £50 each, giving each shareholder a stake and a voice in how the ministry is run and people are invited to keep this exciting venture alive and the light shining. Illuminate is Shropshire’s major Christian Resource centre. As such it needs supporting. It stocks a large range of books, children’s material, CDs, DVDs, cards and gifts so it is essential that we support this superb shop.

Please contact Illuminate on 01743 233657 or visit the shop in person for more information or to find out how you can help the Trust and/or purchase shares.

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Illuminate, Shrewsbury: Non-Profit Shareholders Needed

Posted on June 12, 2010 by | 3 Comments

Illuminate

Illuminate Christian Bookshop and Upper Room Café is appealing for non-profit shareholders to invest in the shop to help keep the light shining in Shrewsbury — and if insufficient funds are forthcoming the shop is expected to close down within a matter of weeks.

In a letter issued to members of the Friends of Illuminate facebook group last month, Phil Whittall, co-owner of the shop since 2004 with Jeremy Taylor, explained that despite their own and the staff’s best efforts, it had not been possible to turn the business around from being a loss-making venture and they were no longer in a position to support the shop themselves. A meeting of local church leaders and other interested parties was held and a new steering group for the shop was formed with a view to creating a charitable trust to take over the shop.

Writing this week to those who attended, Ellie Lee, a member of the steering group, explained:

The overall picture from the current position is that, unless funds can be raised by the Christian community in and around Shrewsbury, Illuminate will cease trading at the end of July at the latest.

The Steering Group are now in the process of setting up a charity (probably to be called The Illuminate Trust), as mentioned at the community meeting.

A minimum of 1200 non-profit shares at £50 each need to be purchased to raise enough funds initially to keep Illuminate going in its current format.

A letter and “briefing” pack is in the process of being prepared and it is planned for this to be sent out to as many churches as possible, ready to be presented by the church focal point on Sunday 20th June. (If you are happy to be the “focal point” in your church, can you let me know as soon as possible please). Non-profit making shares in the trust will be available for £50 each. An alternative for those who are unable to purchase a full share would be to donate money instead to the charity. We will then have nearly 3 weeks to raise the funds before a decision has to be made. A minimum of 1200 shares need to be purchased to raise enough funds initially to keep Illuminate going in its current format. No firm decision will be made about the staffing of Illuminate at present.

We are very aware that a lot of prayer is going on at the moment about saving this important focal point for the town and we are trusting God for His will to be done. We also believe that God wants us to be risk takers and push the door in faith!

Please feel free to pass this email on to anyone you feel may be interested in the current situation. You could also contact me or any of the Group members for further information.

God bless

Ellie Lee (on behalf of Illuminate Trust Steering Group)

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A Retailer’s Reflections on CRE 2010: Retailers’ Day at the Christian Resources Exhibition

Posted on May 15, 2010 by | Leave a comment
Martin Deadman

Martin Deadman

I invited Martin Deadman of Perivale Christian Bookshop to report back on this week’s Christian Resources Exhibition and on Retailers’ Day in particular.  Martin writes:

Being fairly local to the event, I have been a regular CRE attendee for many years. With the demise of CBC I can understand the rationale for the 2 events to be combined. And having a separate Retailers Day in a side area is a clear improvement on last year.

Having attended the Stronger Together Weaker Apart Retreat at High Leigh the week before, I arrived focussed and ready to meet suppliers and generally make the most of the day.

Sandown Park

Sandown Park Racecourse, Esher - Venue for CRE

I arrived at 10am to be greeted by Guy Marshall with all the information I needed for the day ahead, including the treasured CRE Handbook and separate Retailers’ Day programme. I decided that I would spend most time and energies in the Retailer area first, visiting the remainder of the exhibition later in the afternoon.

I had met many of the suppliers present in the Retailers’ Exhibition the week before, however it was good to revisit some where I needed to arrange business.

In the centre of the exhibition area there were coffee tables laid out where authors sat and signed complimentary copies of their books. Having memories of CBC author signing queues I welcomed the more informal approach and the opportunity to have a conversation with the authors.

At 12.30pm the Retailer Lunch reception was available. This was a very informal affair in a side room. I feel that the lunch was perhaps a little bit expensive at £25 (£20 early booking) for soup and sausages in rolls.

At 1.15pm the keynote address by Phil Vischer, the creator of VeggieTales, took place in a seated area in the front of the exhibition hall. It was a very interesting talk in which Phil told his story. He was very open and honest about his experiences. Phil also promoted his new DVD series with Kingsway, What’s in the Bible?, which looks like a fantastic resource.

This was followed by a presentation about Biblefresh and the new resource book being launched. This presentation marked the end of the up-front programme. Time was then scheduled for more of Meeting the Suppliers and Author Signings. Having spoken to most suppliers I decided to work through the rest of the exhibition which included Trade Suppliers who were not in the restricted area. I did not remain for the Awards Dinner in the evening on this occasion.

In reviewing the event I feel that the Retailers’ Day was unfortunately too close to the Retreat. I returned home somewhat weary. I understand that next year proposed dates for the Retreat will be further apart from CRE. If I had to choose to go to just one of the events then my preference would be to go to the Retreat. Walking around the Retailers’ Day exhibition it was clear that many retailers had probably made that decision as there never appeared to be lots of people in the hall and during Phil Vischer’s keynote address the seats were certainly not full!

The organizers had definitely listened to the criticisms of last year’s event. One noticeable improvement was the badges. When I went to one stand in the main body of the exhibition I was welcomed with the words ‘Great, a Retailer!’

Clearly, Retailers’ Day at CRE will never be a replacement for CBC but together with the Retreat, if there is a larger time gap between them it should provide a good resource for Retailers in the future. I congratulate Steve and Mandy Briars for the hard work they have put in to establishing the event and the Retreat the week before.

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