Sorting out my study last week, I came across an Evangelical Times from September 2012. Why had I kept it? Well, 12 years ago I became a trustee of a Christian bookshop, and the front-page feature was on a topic dear to my heart: the decline of Christian bookshops.
12 years on, the situation is much worse now. Christian bookshops face a perfect storm of challenges on a variety of fronts. The key challenge, as faced by other high street shops, is competition from online retailers. These often sell products at discounted prices the high street cannot match.
They also offer next-day delivery, which shops find hard if the book is not on their shelves and they must first order it in. Online sales account for over 70 per cent of all book sales in the USA, and although data is difficult to get hold of for the UK and the figure is likely to be lower, it is possibly not that much lower.
As an example, according to recent research, over 50 per cent of all books sold in the UK are purchased through just one popular online retailer (no prizes for guessing which). There has also been growth in Christians marketing a variety of different products (from books through to Christian gifts) directly through Facebook and Instagram.
For bookshops, these changes in how people shop are compounded by the growing shake-up in the publishing and wholesale Christian book world that bookshops rely on for stock. For example, Marston Book Services went into administration earlier this year, and CLC (Christian Literature Crusade) recently laid off staff in efforts to cut costs.
Another sign of the times is that, although the annual Christian Resources Together Conference in September is still well attended, the ratio of bookshops to publishers and online retailers has completely changed. The result is that the book shop chains mentioned in the 2012 article are no longer with us.
Wesley Owen and CLC bookshops have disappeared. The Evangelical Movement of Wales has fewer shops than 12 years ago, and most major cities are without a high street Christian bookshop witness. Many of the shops that survive rely on volunteers or income from other sources, or can balance the books only because they don’t have to pay rent.
A quick survey of the Christian Bookshop Directory shows that at least a quarter of the bookshops listed in Wales have shut over the past few years, and two of the three bookshops listed for Cumbria have shut. The same story is being repeated across the country.
Does it matter?
If you have read this far then you might be thinking, ‘Does this matter?’
Surely the key thing is that people are buying Christian books, rather than where they get them from. If only that were true! Sales of books in the UK have declined over the last 12 years from 269 million items in 2012 to 209 million in 2022 (according to Statistica). This trend is probably mirrored in Christian book sales.
We all buy a host of things online these days, so you might say: ‘Face up to it, Christian bookshops. Change is normal, so you need to adapt to survive.’ Christian bookshops are adapting as much as they can, but perhaps Christian consumers also need to pause and reflect and adapt as well.
Support Christian bookshops
Rather than going with the flow of online sales, I would make a case that Christian bookshops are worth supporting as part of Christians being salt and light in our society – part of our Christian witness. To my mind, there are good reasons why Christians should support Christian bookshops. They help us achieve two things that we should hold dear.
First, they provide places where we can interact with people face to face, bringing the good news to those who aren’t Christians. Second, they are a recognised part of a thriving local community, and as such help to keep town centres alive. In other words, Christians should support Christian bookshops not out of pity, but because Christian bookshops are a better and – being blunt – a more ‘Christian’ way of shopping. They have a really important role as a Christian witness in our towns and cities. We actually need more of them, not fewer, for these two reasons if not more.
As well as supporting Christians, bookshops provide safe and comfortable places for people who want to know more about the Christian faith to come and browse and ask for help. From that postman who is obviously worried about something, through to the person asking for a book to help someone with cancer, or even someone concerned with the topic of demons and what Christian literature is available to help.
In Shrewsbury, our shop manager has a good number of significant conversations each week, really helping people in need. This is an example of how Christian bookshops can fulfil a role on the high street that churches often can’t. In fact, staff in Christian bookshops possibly have more evangelistic opportunities than the average church pastor.
Words in season
The conversations are amazing. Just recently I spoke to a lady who wanted a book to help her bereaved neighbour, as well as someone who introduced himself as a ‘lapsed Christian who wanted to know God again’. None of these people could be helped online.
Let’s be blunt. How many churches can match a Christian bookshop that is open during weekdays and has people available to talk to those in need of support? And how many churches are located on the high street where people often find themselves?
Supporting your local Christian bookshop means keeping a witness on the high street and helping to maintain a vibrant community. As Christians we talk of serving our community; well, shopping locally is one way of doing this. Shops and high streets are a place to socialise and meet people.
Ethical choices
Christian, please bear in mind as well that some online retailers are not always the best at looking after their staff well or paying their taxes – although I must stress that I am not thinking of the Christian online retailers here.
Christians are great at buying fair trade products and often shop locally to support a more just economic system. Considered in this light, Christian bookshops are the ultimate ethical retailer! Of course, if you do pay a little more, does that matter, as the income goes to keep a shop on the high street and enables it to do other valuable work as part of a local community? Surely it’s worth it.
Now I know what you might say in response: ‘But I get things cheaper online!’ Granted, online retailers are often cheaper (though not always – bookshops have offers too – just ask) and they may be able to deliver more quickly. But are speed and price really the criteria you should be using before purchasing your spiritual food? And do you always read the book you have ordered as soon as it drops through the letter box? And that pound or two you might have saved – is that such a big proportion of your household budget? And which community are we serving when we buy things online?
Flexibility
Before I finish I do need to make two things clear. First, I am not saying that buying Christian books online is bad: there are so many wonderful resources for Christians out there. But I am making a plea for bricks-and-mortar bookshops.
Second, I am also not saying that Christian bookshops need not adapt. We probably do need to think more flexibly. Running coffee shops, selling other products such as children’s books or fair trade products, offering meeting spaces already happens in many shops.
Shops could also act more directly as places where people could go and get help, both spiritual and practical, with perhaps pastors or professional advisors basing themselves in a shop space for half a day a week.
Online bookshops could also help out. Many independent bookshops are already linked to bookshop.org, which shares profits from book sales with participating stores. Maybe some of the Christian online retailers could consider doing the same.
There are many ways that Christian customers, bookshops, organisations, and online retailers could all adapt and work together to help each other achieve what is the mission for us all: to bring Christ into our local communities.
Illuminate, together with other Christian bookshops out there, is thankful to God that we are still a light on the high street of Shrewsbury. We are indebted to the local churches and individual Christians who support us, but we do need more customers!
As a trustee, I often reflect on the fact that if every Christian in our town bought just 50 per cent more of their Christian books and gifts from Illuminate, then our financial position would be amazing. So please, before you go to an online retailer and click that ‘proceed to checkout’ button, do just reflect.
