IN 2009, Kamloops rolled out the welcome mat to Vernon based Splendor Christian Marketplace (SCM) after two other local Christian bookstores went out of business.  

Owner Jerry Giesbrecht decided to expand into the Kamloops market after receiving a lot of encouragement from the community. At that time, Giesbrecht told BCCN: “The store is both a business and a ministry, to draw the buyers to a deeper relationship to Christ.”

A mere 16 months later, the Kamloops store is closed, and Giesbrecht has returned to Vernon to focus on the store he has owned for almost nine years.

He is disappointed by the lack of support in Kamloops – but said the biggest problem his business faces is the internet. “hey are so big we just can't compete.”  

Giants such as Amazon.com are able to sell books cheaper than small businesses can purchase them wholesale. SCM was approached in both cities by pastors requesting the store match Amazon's prices for their purchases. In each case, the church leaders chose to support secular sources.  

SCM is still serving the Kamloops area through its Vernon location. The process is just a little different now. Customers are welcome to phone or email the store and place their order, and SCM will ship products to anywhere in Canada.

Continue article >>

Other Christian bookstores offer the same option. Some, including Bell Tower Books in Kelowna, House of James in Abbotsford and Blessings in Langley, also have websites with online shopping. For internet shoppers who want an extensive selection, Giesbrecht recommends christianbook.com. “They only sell Christian material.”

Retailers of Christian products have been hit exceptionally hard over the last two years. In 2008, R.G. Mitchell & Family Books suddenly went bankrupt after 74 years of business.  Blessings Christian Marketplace has closed 20 stores.  

In an interview with christianretailing.com, George Thomsen, new chair of the CBA, an association of Christian retailers, said: “Never before has it been so critical that we work together. In many ways we are navigating in uncharted waters. It will require the collaborative efforts of our industry's best minds and the Lord's wisdom if we are to succeed in the future.”

Jerry Giesbrecht is uncertain of how the future will look for his company. With book sales so competitive and CDs being increasingly overlooked in favour of downloads, giftware is the store's niche. Christian themed giftware is difficult to find elsewhere, so Splendor Christian Marketplace stocks a large variety of items from cards to figurines.  

The Kamloops SCM is now a vacant storefront – and although that wasn't part of Giesbrecht's plan, he is content to place his attention exclusively on the Vernon store.  

The upcoming months will keep him and his staff busy; but when his lease comes up in February, he intends to reassess his business.  

SCM can be reached at 1-888-544-1655.

November 2010