The recent announcement that Family Christian are closing all their stores has been a hot topic of conversation. Industry veterans have shared their thoughts on why the business has failed and how it will impact Christian book selling.
In Australia we have a very small Christian publishing industry compared to last century. We’ve seen major market disruptions that have impacted on the financial viability our local Christian book stores.
In 2000 our government introduced a 10 percent GST (goods and services tax) that replaced existing sales taxes. The cost of living rose overnight and book sales were impacted by the GST levied on all books sold in Australia.
Exchange rate fluctuations between the US Dollar and Australian Dollar affect book prices in the Aussie stores who import direct from US suppliers. It’s not uncommon for books within longer series to vary by as much as $5 due to changes over time in the exchange rates.
Our local market has also been a dumping ground for remaindered print books from the US market. It was difficult for local publishers to compete with the cheap imported books. I’ve also learned that authors may not have earned any royalties from many of the bargain priced print books I’ve purchased over the years.
I grew up in Sydney and our local Christian book store was only a ten minute drive from home. My childhood church had a book stall. I remember admiring the hardcover books and Bibles behind the glass in a tall cabinet at the back of the church. I discovered Love Inspired books in the late 1990’s in a romance book store in Sydney.
In 2017 many Aussies do not live near a Christian book store. The last remaining Christian book store in Canberra, where I live, is a half hour drive from home.
I love browsing in book stores and enjoy the tactile experience of reading a print book. But the convenience of buying online, the joy from having immediate access to brand new releases, and the ability to read on my phone or tablet is just too good to resist. I don’t need to try and create space on my bulging bookshelves to store ebooks.
Do you live near a Christian book store? Have your buying and reading habits changed over the years? I’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences.
Wemble says
Hi Narelle, hope the weather over the last month or so has been kind to you.
When I was in high school, I used to help do stocktake in our local Christian bookstore- we actually had 3 in town then, all independent! That has definitely changed! Now, if I want to visit a Christian bookshop I have to drive just over an hour- across the other side of the city! I do love visiting though, browsing through and seeing what is available is so much more fun when there are actual books to hold. However, having access to cheaper, quicker books on my Kindle is something I love (I often joke that if there was a house fire and my hubby and kids were safely out, then I would have to go back for my Kindle!!)
Blessings:)
Jill Weatherholt says
Hi Narelle! Sadly, the last Christian bookstore in our area has shut its doors. Like you, I love to browse shops and check out the covers. Picking up the book and reading the opening page…it’s just not the same on line. My hope is that one day bookstores will make a comeback, much like our clothing treads.
Jill Weatherholt says
That’s “trends.” :)
Renate says
Thanks Narelle for starting an interesting discussion. I always enjoy learning about life around the world. We are fortunate in SW Michigan to have an independent book store (Forever Books) and an independent Christian Book Store (Parable Books). Both have web pages. When I was a teenager, the Christian Book Store was the only one in town. Monthly I visited the store. When I got married I donated my library to our church. After I got married in 1973, my husband worked for Zondervans (a Christian bookstore). Grand Rapids, MI had three Christian Books stores and many independent book stores. In the 1990s when life become very hectic with three kids, many responsibilities as a daughter, mother, pastor’s wife & high school English teacher – I began ordering books on-line to be delivered to my home. Now I enjoy e-books and only get hard copies from the library. My Kindle has over 1500 books. My husband appreciates not tripping over books in every room and on every table. I am with Jill Weatherholt about the clothing trends returning. Happy READING!
Renate says
In the United States, for readers who do not have a local Christian Bookstore – an excellent on line Christian Book Distributor is ChristianBooks.com (I have been doing business with them for over 25 years.)
Narelle Atkins says
Hi Wemble, yes, it’s finally cooling down and we’ve had rain! I love autumn. :) A Kindle is much easier to collect from a burning house than our treasured print books. I grew up across the road from a nature reserve and our home was threatened a few times by bush fires. Thankfully we never had to evacuate, but I did have a pile of beloved print books ready to go with me if we were ordered to leave. I’m glad you still have a Christian book store you can visit in your city.
Narelle Atkins says
Hi Jill, I’m sorry you’ve lost your last Christian book store. I could spend hours browsing in-store, admiring book covers, and reading the opening pages. It’s definitely not the same as reading an online sample. Yes, may print books make a comeback like clothing and vinyl records. :)
Narelle Atkins says
Hi Renate, It’s interesting you mention Christian Book Distributors. Before I purchased my first Kindle, I’d worked out the optimal number of books to buy in one order from CBD to minimise the international postage costs per item. Many of the titles I wanted to read weren’t available in the Aussie book stores. I discovered The Book Depository with free international postage, which became my online go-to place for one item purchases of books I couldn’t buy locally. My husband also appreciates the fact he’s not tripping over books, although I’m not sure he’s fully aware of how large my ebook collection has grown. :)
Julianne Archer says
This is a sad trend. Yes, there is still a local Christian bookstore in our area that I enjoy going in. It sells, books, Bibles, DVDs, music, cards, etc. These days I generally buy music, some gifts and a lot of cards.
And yes, my habits have changed. I’ve transitioned to mostly e-books because of issues that make holding paper books uncomfortable over time. E-books also address storage issues and are easier to pack for trips :)
L. Marie says
The Christian bookstore near me closed. There are no more in my area. Barnes & Noble carries some Christian books, but not many.
Sally Shupe says
The only stores we have that I can find Christian books is a thrift store book shop. But it’s hard to find something when you go in looking specifically for something. We have a Barnes and Noble in one town and a Books A Million in another. There is a Christian Fiction section, but it doesn’t have Love Inspired books. And I can’t find them in the romance section. Books A Million says they carry Love Inspired books, but I’ve been in there a few times since I emailed and asked and I can’t find them. I miss being able to browse through books and find new authors. Now, I go to facebook parties to learn about new authors, or Amazon and search for a specific genre and browse through. I was looking for Christian suspense for my mom and found several authors that way.
Valerie Comer says
I’ve lived in rural areas of Canada all my life and have rarely lived within easy distance of a Christian book store. There’s still a tiny one in the next big town over, but they stock maybe eight feet of fiction – not an eight-foot section, but two four-foot SHELVES! Needless to say, if you’re looking for anyone below Francine Rivers in fame, you won’t find them.
Colleen Porter says
There is a family christian bookstore in the mall where I live and it’s also closing. I figured it’s only a matter of time though because of ebooks and the cost of paying rent in a mall that no one goes to. I love printed books but if I have to decide whether to go electronic or find space in the house to store a print copy, I have to go with convenience, and that’s why bookstore and soon libraries will be a distant memory.
Andrea Byers says
I prefer Family Christian to the store near us (Lifeway) since the selection was always so good, though we haven’t lived close to Family Christian for at least 15 years. I still go to Lifeway at times and always manage to spend more than I should, but my love of reading has moved me to ebooks as they are more affordable.
Margaret Nelson says
The Christian bookstore near us is on the grounds of a Christian conference center. It’s not very big, but because of the regular influx of new camp and retreat attendees, it stays in business. I use it mostly for gifts and greeting cards, since I can usually find books cheaper online. I was a hold-out on getting a Kindle until I had open heart surgery and wanted to be able to read while lying down… Now I even take my Kindle on Sundays to church for my Bible!
Autumn Macarthur says
It’s sad and difficult knowing bookstores are closing. I loved visiting the local Christian bookstore weekly in pre-internet shopping days, but now I buy most of my books online, and usually ebooks. I prefer paper books, but we have a tiny house that’s already filled with books! Ebooks are the only option!
Maureen Kay Lynch says
As I full-time in my RV, I just can’t afford the space or the weight of books and even gave away my much-loved Jan Karon books when I downsized. Now all my books are on kindle and nook. It seems to be the wave of the present and future. My Bible is on my phone in an app, which means I never leave home without it. After lunch at a Chinese restaurant, a large group of us read our ‘fortunes’ out loud. One was straight from the book of Proverbs and I was able to verify that on the spot. And, as we know, God’s word…
Linda says
I used to have bookcases full of books, would go to the library regularly and would haunt the bookstores.
Now with limited space,eyesight and transportation, I went to e books.
I always have had a book in my purse for those times waiting at the doctor’s office,etc.,now I have my Kindle or I-Pad.
pattymh2000 says
I am also sad to hear that the Family Christian stores are closing. While we have several Christian bookstores within a 30 minute radius Family Christian was usually my store of choice .
Priscila says
It’s really sad to hear Cristian bookstores are closing sll over the world. In upstate NY we didn’t have one close by so all our shopping is basically online.
Back home in Brazil I used to love going to the local store and would spend my entire allowance on books in my teens. They are still there but the content is not the same. The other day I was visiting my parents and convinced my mom to go with me to my favorite one growing up. What a disappointment. You find a lot of cards, Bibles and alike but hardly books. It would be a pity to grow up today. Of course they have a ton of nonfiction but that’s for the adult in me (and I got mine mostly from the Lutheran Seminar bookstore a couple of hours away close to where my dad used to work). I do own the same amount of fiction and nonfiction Cristian books on paper, but now if you add kindle… then I must say I’ve expanded my fiction collection a lot in the past few years and this blog is mostly “guilty” for introducing me to amazing writers. I’m really thankful as I love reading. I even have new favorite authors now.
I still get paperback but I favor the benefits of lightweight kindle that I can read anywhere and anytime. (I have a few new books I haven’t got around to read because I can never remember to get them.)
Jackie Smith says
I hope this does not show up twice….When I post comment….does not happen! No bookstore near me; I rely on Kindle, Amazon, and libraries for my avid reading!!!
rebecca Ham says
This is heartbreaking news for me. I love this store, and shopped here whenever I was able. I love to just walk in the atmosphere knowing its blessed for the Lord. I do buy my study materials here, my bibles, and cds also.My other favorite non Christian bookstore recently closed as well. I fear that in the future printed books will be a rarer thing, even my local library is purchasing less and less books in place renting books, and supplying ebooks more, or books on cd in there place,
I am very grateful and appreciative for you all- thankful for the introduction to many of these authors.
God Bless each of you in all you do.
Merrillee Whren says
I find it very convenient to have a book on my ereader with a couple of clicks. I’m sad for the bookstores that struggle, but I fear online shopping will make it difficult for, not just bookstores, but many retail stores of all kinds to survive. I buy clothes, shoes and even grocery items on line. In fact that reminds me I need to order my favorite salad dressing. No stores around here stock it, so I buy direct from the manufacturer.
Jessica B. (USA) says
I was sad to hear that Family Christian will be closing all of their stores. I remember going there as a teenager and picking out new CD’s. I love to read and like printed books best but I almost always get my books from the library.
Kimberly Rose Johnson says
We have at least one Christian book store in my town. There used to be four. Three were owned by the same person. I enjoy going in from time to time to look at books. I sometimes will buy a print book, but my eyes aren’t great and reading on a kindle that allows me to make the font large is very nice. It’s also a lot easier for me to hold a kindle. A book causes my hand to cramp.
The store in our area sells a lot more than books. They carry music and gift items as well. I think the hardest thing for Christian book stores is trying to compete with the price. I purchased a leather journal at Christmas for $16 then spotted another one at a discount store for only $4.00. I kept the expensive one and bought that one too then gave my son both because I wanted to support the book store. The prices of books online are quite a bit cheaper than in a brick and mortar. I believe that makes it hard for them to compete and stay in business.
Judy Burdett says
I used to always buy my books through Christian Book Distributors or through our New Tribes Mission book store. They could order what I wanted and the discount covered the cost of shipping. I am a missionary in Papua New Guinea so getting books was very expensive. I had a massive library as that was about all I had to do apart from our ministry. But alas the cost of shipping books got to be too much so I had to switch to Kindle when I realized that I could download them in the tribe. When in the US I loved going to the Family Christian Bookstore and other local ones so sad to hear that they are closing down. I used to also order from one in Australia which I cannot think of the name right now.
Britney Adams says
It’s so sad to learn more bookstores are closing!
Trixi says
Our Tree of Life went out of business last summer, it was only Christian bookstore in our little town. We have other bookstores but they are VERY limited on their selection. I love going to visit my sister-in-law because there is a Lifeway Christian bookstore near where she lives. I go for the discounted books, I could honestly blow my budget…lol!
It’s very sad to see. : -( I know online shopping has become very popular, but I love the human aspect of going into a store & talking to the cashier or getting recommendations and etc. And yea, I own a Kindle and I do have books on it…but I LOVE looking at my bookshelves full of books. It’s like being in a roomful of friends! Nothing beats a paperback in hand :-)
Susanne says
Very sad to see these stores closing. We do have a local independent Christian bookstore, and this area seems to have great support. I hope they will continue to receive the support they need, and not be forced to close like so many others.
Narelle Atkins says
Hi Julieanne, I’m glad you still have a Christian store in your area. Yes, there are definitely ergonomic and storage benefits from reading on devices. :)
Narelle Atkins says
Hi L. Marie, I’m sorry to hear you’ve lost the last Christian book store in your area. B&N may be able to order in books for you? In Australia we’ve learned that if we request a particular title at our local book store, the store will often transfer a few extra copies that end up on the store shelves.
Narelle Atkins says
Hi Sally, Thrift stores are a lucky dip when it comes to finding books that aren’t best sellers. It’s good that we have the option to search online and use social media connections to discover new authors. I’m glad you’ve found new authors and books for your mom :)
Narelle Atkins says
Hi Valerie, Wow, eight feet of fiction shelf space is tiny… Our Christian stores would typically have less than ten percent shelf space devoted to fiction. Some stores stock more fiction than others. Non-fiction and giftware has the most space. The music section has shrunk over time as well.
Narelle Atkins says
Colleen, it’s interesting you mention the cost of rents. In Australia there’s a lot of discussion within retail about the high cost of rental space. Online retailers definitely have a cost advantage in not having to pay rent. Our libraries in Australia are doing okay and have moved into the digital world with more titles available for ebook borrowing. Aussie authors also get paid Public Lending Rights when their book is borrowed 50 or more times per year from an Aussie library.
Narelle Atkins says
Hi Andrea. yes. the affordabilty factor for ebooks does make a difference. These days I buy significantly more ebooks than print books.
Narelle Atkins says
Hi Margaret, It’s good that the book store near you can stay in business. The convenience of the Kindle (and other reading devices) should never be underestimated. :)
Narelle Atkins says
Thanks everyone for your comments. I’m having tech issues with replying to individual comments and I’ll try again later. Please know I’m not ignoring your comments and I’ll reply ASAP.
Narelle Atkins says
Hi Autumn, Yes, ebooks are a wonderful invention for those of us with limited storage space. :)
Narelle Atkins says
Hi Maureen, I agree, it’s so convenient to have access to the Bible on our phones. We can forget how much print books weigh, especially hardcover. Many years ago I discovered Jan Karon and her books in the library. Large print hardcover, by memory. :)
Narelle Atkins says
Hi Linda, It’s handy being able to adjust the font size, and I like having access to my entire ebook library when I’m out and about. :)
Narelle Atkins says
Hi Patty, I’m sorry to hear you’re losing the store you preferred to visit.
Narelle Atkins says
Hi Priscila, It’s interesting to look at how book stores have changed over the last few decades. There’s an upside and a downside from technological change. My ebook collection is heavily weighted toward fiction, too. :)
Narelle Atkins says
Hi Jackie, It’s great that we can access books in multiple ways. :)
Narelle Atkins says
Hi Rebecca, I’m sorry to hear the book stores near you are closing, or have closed. Our libraries in Australia are also evolving to cater for readers who use ebooks and audio books. I’m glad you’ve discovered new authors here on our blog. Blessings to you. :)
Narelle Atkins says
Hi Merrillee, Yes, I agree, online retailing is changing the landscape of retail, in general. I prefer to visit the grocery store and shop in-person, but I do buy clothes and other things online. :)
Narelle Atkins says
Hi Jessica, I agree, it’s sad news. I hope our libraries continue to order and stock print books.
Narelle Atkins says
Hi Kimberly, Yes, the large font size is a big plus for reading on devices. You’ve reminded me of how my wrist used to ache after falling asleep holding a print book at the wrong angle. Not fun. It’s not easy for brick and mortar stores to compete on price. A sad reality.
Narelle Atkins says
Hi Judy, yes, the international shipping for books can be really expensive. Koorong is our last remaining brick and mortar Christian book store chain in Australia. They also have an extensive range of books available online.
Narelle Atkins says
Hi Britney, yes, it’s sad news.
Narelle Atkins says
Hi Trixi, yes, a budget and self control is needed when I visit book stores, lol. The customer service from in-store staff counts for a lot and I’ve bought many books over the years from staff recommendations. You’ve mentioned one of the reasons why I find it so hard to give away my beloved print books. :)
Narelle Atkins says
Hi Susanne, I hope your independent Christian bookstore thrives and is supported by your local community. :)
Layla says
Hi
I have just joined recently. I live in the UK.
As for shops closing down. I believe that’s happening everywhere especially with everything going digital so it’s more cheaper and easier to get to. You don’t have to get out of your house to buy things and it arrives at your door. As for books you can store them on your mobile, laptop or iPad. It also doesn’t take up space and you can carry hundreds of books with you where ever you go.
I have to admit that I am a book person. I love the smell of books and the feel of them. I still have a few but I have more ebooks.
Also you get the chance to chose from hundreds of books. Of course this is good for small book ships and self published authors. Is this a bad things for Christian/ other book shop. No because they get to reach out to millions of people which they might have not been able to before.
Amanda Geaney says
We have a very small Christian bookstore in our town, but their prices are what is printed on the cover. At the rate I read it just doesn’t make sense to buy local.
Within a 20 minute drive I have a Mardel and 35 minutes I can be at a LifeWay store. That is where I gravitate to if I haven’t already shopped Amazon.