Family Christian Announces Plan for Liquidation

Sad news I think. A reminder that businesses being run with the best of intentions may still run out of steam. I appreciate the way Logos has managed to keep the company profitable and innovative while looking after my investment and interest in the Logos software application and resources.

Here is what I received from Family Christian in an email (this morning) and I know it has made it onto other social resources: Dear Family Christian Guests;

The cornerstone of the Family Christian organization is a commitment to serve God – whether that is through our retail stores, or any one of our ministry initiatives. I am very grateful for each and every one of you who have shopped our stores, and believed in our mission for so very long.

As with any worthwhile endeavor, there have been challenges and setbacks, as well as remarkable acts of service and self-sacrifice. The retail landscape is changing, however, and despite improvements in our product assortment and our store experience, we have not able to generate the sales necessary to sustain our business. We have fought hard because we deeply believe in our mission to help people find, grow, share and celebrate their faith in Jesus Christ.

We have had two very difficult years, and after prayerfully looking at all possible options, and trusting God’s plan for our organization, we have made the difficult decision to close our stores. Family Christian will begin the closing process soon.

As we end this chapter, we would like to thank you for walking along with us. Together, we have truly made an impact on the Kingdom by caring for more than 14 million people, here and abroad, in some of the world’s darkest places. We are deeply indebted to you.

Thank you for letting Family Christian be a part of your faith journey. Today and always, it has been privilege to serve.

In His Service

Chuck Bengochea

President and CEO

Family Christian

(Note: I included the signature above but it is not mine.)

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Comments

DAL

Sad news indeed!

Kevin A. Purcell

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/884323#Comment_884323

I hate it for the workers losing their jobs, but the store was really a gift shop with a few books. The Christian book industry is not doing a good job of creating an experience much like BN and Books A Million tried to do and still are kind of failing.

If I managed a Christian bookstore, I'd partner with churches and turn it into a destination with meeting space and concerts and a coffee shop plus computer kiosk ordering so you could get every single Christian book published even if I didn't sell it in store.

DMB

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/884327#Comment_884327

Don't know if a 'Christian anything' could work, given the variability/fragmentation. When we moved here (tourist town), the pastor noted the string of Christian bookstores that regularly failed. And another hopeful owner on the horizon. Turned out to be true. Hard to overcome the need for a wide assortment, but low volume.

But I do see the need for something better than the current internet offering. I tried to find a Bible I wanted; really surprised at how poorly even that is merchandised.

Edwin Bowden

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/884327#Comment_884327

I hate it for the workers losing their jobs, but the store was really a gift shop with a few books. The Christian book industry is not doing a good job of creating an experience much like BN and Books A Million tried to do and still are kind of failing.

If I managed a Christian bookstore, I'd partner with churches and turn it into a destination with meeting space and concerts and a coffee shop plus computer kiosk ordering so you could get every single Christian book published even if I didn't sell it in store.

I spent over 2 decades in Christian publishing. The first half was in retailing and the second half as a rep for publishers. It has always been a very tough business.

I started just as the first best-sellers hit the market: The Living Bible and The Late Great Planet Earth. Christian bookstores started popping up everywhere--most undercapitalized with no business plan. Prior to that, most Christian bookstores were owned by denominations. Independent bookstores were mom and pop operations, where pop was successful enough in business to subsidize the ministry mom ran. I remember one store started in those days whose first day's sales was one ten cent greeting card.

Now we are back to denominational stores and some other chains. Very few independent stores have survived.

Online sales and electronic books have greatly eroded the potential sales (and profits) for a new bookstore.

Unlike traditional bookstores, Christian bookstores were also expected to be the source for all the supplies for Christians and churches. At one point, sales were typically 25% Bibles, 25% books, 25% music, and 25% gifts and supplies. They served as Christian department stores.

I confess that I started with Logos by buying a basic package from a regional bookstore chain. It was a paradigm shift for me. I now buy everything that I can from Logos. I rarely visit that same bookstore, except for gifts.

At about the same time that Christian bookstores burst on the scene, there was a huge eruption of Christian publishers. Many of those have now folded or been gobbled up by corporate giants.

Mark Smith

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/884337#Comment_884337

Edwin, I think your observation about CB stores becoming department stores is what I've seen. Before our Mom and Pop style one closed it was more gifts and cards than books and music.

Lots, of course, has changed. Music for example. What once was a good source of income for bookstores is now downloaded directly to an .mp3 player. What's a CD?

People don't seem to read much anymore, and there is precious little worth reading. Amish romance novels and tales of going to heaven and coming back can only bring in just so many readers. Add to that the shallow spiritual interests of a huge percentage of Christians, and reading Christian books seems so last century.

The switch to ebooks has hurt. Those who do read often have a reader and d/l their books. It's cheaper, faster, portable, and there's nothing to find a shelf for when you are done.

The on-line revolution caught many small business flat. Many small independents couldn't afford to develop a good web site, keep it up-to-date, and maintain it, or lacked tech-savvy people to envision how it could be used. Our local bookstore struggled to have an online presence, coming way too late to the party.

Here's another cause: churches developed bookstores inside their walls. This further eroded stand-alone store business. (Many of these seem to be shrinking in size, or have closed in spite of the fact they often get free space and don't have to turn a profit.) We considered doing this, as we thought that way we could get people to at least look at some Christian books. In the end, we didn't do so.

Publishers must share some of the blame. They ran out of good authors and good books to print before they ran out of customers. It seems they became so desperate to print more books that the books they did print were often largely fluff and useless. I have opened many a one-good-idea book only to find out the publisher produced a ten chapter book on the one idea. We seem to be better at writing blogs than books. A few paragraphs about one idea is the limit.

So, all-in-all, it is sad to see another Christian retailer close up shop, but it isn't surprising. I'm part of the problem. I buy Logos-formated books whenever I can.

mab

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/884359#Comment_884359

I used to frequent the store. I think the whole business began to lose focus years ago. I remember working in a Christian bookstore for a few months back in the 1980s.

I don't think it's an industry shift--retail itself is on the ropes. I watched one FC store move from a major mall to a strip mall before shutting down all together.

Edwin Bowden

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/884467#Comment_884467

I used to frequent the store. I think the whole business began to lose focus years ago. I remember working in a Christian bookstore for a few months back in the 1980s.

I don't think it's an industry shift--retail itself is on the ropes. I watched one FC store move from a major mall to a strip mall before shutting down all together.

When I was in sales, my boss liked to say that the last buggy whip manufacturer probably made a very good product. [:(]

Ezra Miller

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/884554#Comment_884554

Well, you have to look at their banking records as well. They had some troubles in 2012, and then from then on. Also look at their selection. The one in Boise had hardly any good books. A lot of Joel Osteen and other garbage. The only commentaries they had were J. Vernon Mcgee and Layman Bible Commentary Series.