Tag Archives: Wesley Owen

2010 and the Christian Book Trade: A Year according to the Web Stats

Posted on December 22, 2010 by | 2 Comments

2010: how was it for you? The question’s a little premature, of course: we’ve still got a few days to go. But from a web stats perspective, here’s how it’s been in this little corner of the blogosphere, with the top ten posts as follows, set out as post date, title, page views.

  1. 26/01/10 Living Oasis: A new and exciting vision for your local Christian Bookshop: 2101
  2. 21/01/10 Nationwide Christian Trust Confirmed as Bidders for Remaining Wesley Owen Stores: 1047
  3. 31/05/10 Kingsway Polls: Because the questions won’t go away…: 948
  4. 08/01/10 Wesley Owen: Beginning of the End as Nottingham Branch Ceases Trading: 860
  5. 28/5/10 Kingsway: John Paculabo Responds: 824
  6. 02/03/10 Living Oasis: 20 Shops, Meetings and Openings: 820
  7. 17/05/10 Kingsway, Cross Rhythms and the cost of Christian music: are retailers being priced out of the market? 789
  8. 03/01/10 Wesley Owen and CLC: Looking to the future…: 758
  9. 10/08/10 For I am ashamed of the Gospel? Concerns raised as Living Oasis declares plans to “de-Christianise” shop windows: 727
  10. 24/02/10: Living Oasis: Nationwide rollout plans gather momentum: 713

Two stories have clearly dominated: the rise of Living Oasis following last year’s collapse of Wesley Owen, and the shenanigans over Kingsway’s pricing practices. Thankfully, of course, Kingsway came to their senses before it became necessary to refer the matter to the OFT, but I must confess that I found the whole episode deeply disheartening and have yet to understand how a Christian organisation could treat both government guidelines and its trading partners with such contempt: a very strange attitude indeed.

As for Living Oasis, the questions I raised a few weeks ago about their future plans remain open. Andy Twilley has stated that he will “happily give [any enquirers] the actual position” but has yet to actually do so openly. The apparent plan to grow the business “by a minimum of 20 sites each year” seems an idealistic fantasy at best but until such time as Living Oasis are willing to speak more freely of their game plan the rest of us can only watch and wonder.

The post stats tell only part of the story, of course. The top five pages over the past year are:

  1. Home page: 62,621
  2. Wesley Owen: 6,838
  3. About: 932
  4. Belfast: 908
  5. Manchester: 820

Once again, then, the topic that has dominated visitors’ interest has been Wesley Owen / Living Oasis.

Finally, for those who may be wondering where the traffic has come from, the top 5 referrers over the past year have been:

  1. christianbookshops.org.uk: 10,608
  2. facebook: 1,462
  3. wordpress.com: 777
  4. twitter: 758
  5. Google Reader: 448

There’s much more data available of course, such as the search terms people have using to find their way here: feel free to ask if you’re curious.

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Posted in Book Trade Ramblings, Musings...

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What’s happening at Wesley Owen? David Chant gives us the inside story

Posted on May 5, 2010 by | 6 Comments
Wesley Owen Birmingham: Facebook Photos

Wesley Owen Birmingham - Facebook Photos

If you’re anything like me, you’ve no doubt been wondering how things are going for Wesley Owen’s survivors under their new Aussie owners, Koorong. So I put on my Aussie hat (made from genuine ’roo hide) to give myself an authentic Oz presence and invited the inimitable David Chant from Wesley Owen Birmingham to tell us all about it. He writes:

Thank you, Phil, for inviting me to tell the bookselling world all about our first 4 months under new ownership. In December, we were fortunate to be one of the 8 Wesley Owen stores to be bought by Koorong, the leading Australian Christian bookseller.  All the changes in the trade have been well documented, so I will concentrate on how this has impacted upon one of the Big 8!  From day one we were welcomed into the Koorong family by the key personnel.  By January we had received phone calls from Australia, (most of which were made in the early hours of their morning), visitations by many, and regular emails that helped us with the transition from Wesley Owen to the Koorong way.

Birmingham branch was chosen to be to the IT hub for the group.  Their IT guru based himself here for a number of weeks, setting up the PCs, and EPOS terminals.  He then travelled England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, setting everything up.  He finally left the UK after many weeks in the snowy UK – and had missed the Aussie summer!

The EPOS system is superb!  We are only using a tiny part of what it is capable of at present, but that will soon change as new systems are introduced.

We recently received training from another of the jet-setters – and more are coming over shortly. We are taking in so much (and probably forgetting the majority of it!) at the moment, and sometimes go home in the evenings totally exhausted from all we have taken on board.

In recent weeks we have all received numerous pallets of books.  About 200 boxes of lovely stock winged itself to us in April, and I cannot begin to tell you how marvelous it is to walk into a well stocked shop again.  It has been quite a task manhandling so much stock; sorting, pricing and rearranging the shop to fit in all in. But how rewarding!  For example, we now have a Bible section crammed with just about anything we are likely to be asked for.  It’s been some time since I could say that!

The new Wesley Owen Books & Music membership scheme, website, and data base are now being built, so it won’t be long until we are well and truly inducted into the Koorong way.

Having been through such a transition before, (we had been an independent for 105 years before Wesley Owen took us over in 1997), some aspects haven’t been too big a shock to the system.  In fact it has breathed new life and vigour into not only the shop, but also the staff.

We are being ably looked after by our UK based management, as well as the team from Sydney.  It is great to have such a dedicated team watching over us.

Now the fun begins.  We will be undertaking our first stocktake soon, and will no doubt be getting our branch budgets shortly.  Honeymoon period over? :-)

Finally, having invited David to contribute, it would be remiss of me not to mention his personal project, Planet BB: if you or anyone you know is or has been involved in Boys’ Brigade, check it out.

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Posted in Bookshop Ramblings, Guest Posts, Wesley Owen

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News Roundup: Carlisle, Harrogate and Walsall (Updated)

Posted on February 22, 2010 by | 2 Comments

Redundancies at STL Distribution, Carlisle

News emerged over the weekend of fresh redundancies at STL Distribution, Carlisle, with 10 warehouse staff leaving on Friday, Feb 19th. Sources indicate that the total workforce is expected to be cut by 1/3, with the next round of redundancies cutting staff in the Customer Services section due to be announced this week.

The redundancies are voluntary, following a consultation period that ended on February 17th. Those who remain are believed to be safe “if business picks up”.

Update, 11.30pm, Feb 22nd: An official statement from Ken Munro, CEO of STL Distribution, citing numbers and requesting prayer for those affected, was posted on the STL Blog at 8.48pm this evening. Describing the cuts as a “planned re-sizing”, Ken writes:

A fundamental part of this process was the instigation of a consultation period which ended on the 17th February with the outcome being that 45 of the 180 Carlisle based posts would no longer be required. During the consultation 30 members of staff chose to take voluntary redundancy or left having secured alternative employment. We are now moving towards the conclusion of this process and once it is completed, I am confident we will have a strong foundation in terms of skills and experience, on which STL Distribution can develop and face the future with confidence.

Ripon and Leeds Diocesan News: Author cuts the tape as Harrogate's Christian bookshop rescued

Author cuts the tape as Harrogate's Christian bookshop rescued

Living Oasis Now Trading in Harrogate

The first branch of Living Oasis has now opened in Harrogate following the acquisition of the former Wesley Owen premises by Nationwide Christian Trust.

The shop was officially opened at 1pm on Saturday Feb 13th with well-known author Adrian Plass cutting the tape. Former Wesley Owen shop manager Julie Jowett stays on in an extended role as Northern Regional Manager for the Living Oasis chain.

Plans are also underway to reopen the former Wesley Owen in Leeds: a meeting with church leaders in Leeds to discuss possibilities is scheduled for Thursday, March 4th.

Read the full story here: Author cuts tape to reopen rescued Harrogate bookshop

Shop Details
Living Oasis
11 Commercial Street
Harrogate
North Yorkshire HG1 1UB

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The Hub, Walsall

The Hub, Walsall

Official Opening of The Hub, Walsall

This week — 1pm, Thursday Feb 25th — sees the official opening of The Hub, Walsall, another former branch of Wesley Owen, with Christian musicians Phatfish led by Lou Fellingham on hand as special guests to help things along. The group will be appearing live in store during the day and in concert at Walsall Independent Evangelical Church in the evening.

Special opening day offers include a 5% discount on all full priced items (10% when spending more than £25) if you join the shop’s mailing list and mention this site, UKCBD, as where you heard about the opening (offer valid 25th-27th Feb).

Discover more: follow The Hub on twitter.

Shop Details
The Hub
Unit 6
The Crossing at St Paul’s
Darwall Street
Walsall
West Midlands WS1 1DA

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First Living Oasis Store Scheduled to Open in Harrogate

Posted on January 29, 2010 by | 2 Comments

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…

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Living Oasis: Official Press Release

Posted on January 27, 2010 by | 2 Comments
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.



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

Posted on January 26, 2010 by | 13 Comments

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

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

Posted on January 25, 2010 by | 9 Comments

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.

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Wesley Owen: More closures, but hope for Chester?

Posted on January 22, 2010 by | 5 Comments

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.

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Nationwide Christian Trust Confirmed as Bidders for Remaining Wesley Owen Stores

Posted on January 21, 2010 by | 4 Comments
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.

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A Future and a Hope for the UK’s Christian Bookshops

Posted on January 17, 2010 by | 5 Comments
The Times, Saturday 16 Jan 2010 - The call goes out to keep Jesus on the High Street

The call goes out to keep Jesus on the High Street

Today I’d like to offer my thanks to Rebecca Paveley for her superb write-up in Saturday’s Times outlining both the crisis facing and the future hope for the UK’s Christian bookshops: The call goes out to keep Jesus on the High Street.

In it, Rebecca highlights the ironic fact that whilst many are blaming the internet for the trade’s difficulties, it’s the internet that’s allowing us to campaign for the trade’s survival:
In Christian bookshops up and down the country books are being cleared from shelves… [read more]

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