CBA Survey Finds Down Market
By Marcia Z. Nelson -- Publishers Weekly, 5/20/2009 8:24:00 AM
In its annual State of the Industry analysis, the CBA reported that net sales were down 10.7% for Christian retailers in 2008, with 61% of stores surveyed experiencing sales declines. On the positive side, almost 7% of stores had sales increases of more than 20%.
The overall Christian retail channel decreased by 37 stores, as 54 new stores opened while at least 91 closed. The anonymous survey included more than 276 stores from 43 states; independents, regional chains, and national chains with sales volumes ranging from small to large participated.
