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By Peter Biggs
ONE YEAR ago, faced with various challenging market
forces, Canada’s largest Christian bookstore chain closed 20 of its
24 stores across the country.
The painful restructuring of Blessings Marketplace
meant 130 people lost their jobs. Millions of dollars, invested by owners
Mark and Angela Hutchinson, were also lost.
BCCN reached Mark
Hutchinson last month for an update. The chain, whose head office is in
Chilliwack, has other stores in Langley, Calgary and Edmonton.
“Despite all we’ve come through,” he
said, “I believe God has placed me in this place and in this role
– and has kept me going.”
 | | Mark Hutchinson, owner of Blessings Marketplace. |
Asked how it felt to come through such a testing,
Hutchinson highlighted the response of his staff.
“I was open and honest about the challenges we
faced – and the staff in the stores were amazing. They worked hard up
till the end, and understood the issues we were facing.”
Regarding the future, he was upbeat.
“We finished 2008 strongly – with increased
sales from the previous year!”
He also emphasized his sense of purpose. “Our
goal is to be a support to the Christian community. We are launching a
revamped online service for communities that don’t have a Christian
resource store.”
He has also hired a former publisher of BC Christian News, Steve Almond.
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“Steve brings lots of experience in helping work
with churches, schools and community relations.”
Blessings is also embarking upon fair trade links, in
marketing products from developing countries.
“If we do business well, it enables us to make a
profit – and put that back into ministry ventures that are non money
making. We produced a worship CD that made $13,000; we sent it all to
Hungry for Life International.”
Contact: www.blessings.com.
March 2009
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