Released on: June 30, 2008, 1:57 am

Press Release Author: Noel Griese

Industry:

Press Release Summary: An estimated 5,000 churches in the United States are now
retailing books. The president of the Church Bookstore Network says church
bookstores are the "fastest-growing portion of this industry."

Press Release Body: Atlanta, Ga, June 30, 2008 -- The rapidly increasing number of
bookstores operated by churches has led to the larger stores forming their own trade
association.

The fourth annual Gathering of Church Bookstores was held in March 2008 at Lakewood
Church in Houston, Texas. The event was co-hosted by The Church Bookstore magazine
and the Church Bookstore Network. More than 230 managers and volunteers,
representing 125 churches, attended the March 26-28 Gathering.
Church bookstores are \"the fastest growing portion of this industry,\" according to
Geni Hulsey, president of the Church Bookstore Network and manager of the Garden
Bookstore at Houston First Baptist Church, in a recent article published by
Christianity Today magazine.

Hulsey began her church\'s store almost 14 years ago with four six-foot tables of
books and products in the church\'s 76-seat café. Last year, the store, did $500,000
in business from its new 2,000-square-foot dedicated space inside the megachurch.
About 60 percent of the revenue came from book and Bible sales.
A survey conducted at the Gathering found that more than half the participants had
expanded their operations in the prior two years, while 48 percent reported
increased sales in 2007.

Dave Condiff, associate publisher at The Church Bookstore magazine, estimates there
are about 5,000 church bookstores in the U.S. A \"church bookstore\" can encompass
anything from a 10,000-square-foot bookstore with $3 million in sales to a narthex
book table," he told Christianity Today.

To familiarize booming church bookstores with how to acquire low-cost inventory, the
Great American Bargain Book Show (GABBS) is making a one-time offer for church store
staffers to attend the show free.
The offer extends to church bookstore employees of all types - those who order books
to stock the shelves, and those who sell the books as a way to spread the word among
congregants and to help fund church activities.

"Church bookstores can acquire stock from well known publishers of Christian titles
such as Thomas Nelson at bargain basement prices," according to GABBS organizer
Larry May of Knoxville, Tenn.
At least half of the vendors scheduled to attend GABBS at the Cobb Galleria Centre
in Atlanta on Aug. 1-2 will be offering popular Christian titles for as little as 10
cents on the dollar, according to May, who said about 40,000 TO 50,000 book titles
will be available.

To take advantage of the free registration offer, church bookstore employees need to
visit the GABBS Web site to register, May said. "This is a great opportunity for
church bookstores to stock up for the coming winter holiday season."

According to May, less than 10 percent of the books manufactured in the United
States get sold at full suggested retail price. The rest are discounted. Remainders
- the books that don't sell out at retail or discounted prices, books that are
usually in pristine condition - constitute 31 percent of the $36 billion U.S. book
business.

The Great American Bargain Book Show caters to buyers who purchase 25 or more copies
of individual titles from dealers who specialize in remainders.

About GABBS: The Great American Bargain Book Show is one of the three largest
bargain book shows in the United States, staged annually in time for retailers to
buy inexpensive stock for marketing during the winter holiday season. The show is
organized by L.B. May & Associates of Knoxville, Tenn. Further information at
www.GABBS.net
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Contact:
Noel Griese
Anvil Publishers, Inc.
Atlanta, Ga
770-938-0289
ngriese@anvilpub.com
http://www.GABBS.net

Web Site: http://www.GABBS.net

Contact Details: Contact:
Noel Griese
Anvil Publishers, Inc.
Atlanta, Ga
770-938-0289
ngriese@anvilpub.com
http://www.GABBS.net