Sunday, August 2, 1998

What would Jesus do with all the latte mugs, bracelets and such?

By Matthew Brady

Knight Ridder Newspapers

DALLAS - What would Jesus do?

It has become a million-dollar question. Literally.

Abbreviated as WWJD, it has helped sell more than 17 million bracelets and countless coffee mugs, key chains and calendars.

And more products are on the way.

The 49th annual International Convention of the CBA, formerly known as the Christian Booksellers Association, unveiled 6 acres of merchandise earlier this month at the Dallas Convention Center.

Mixed in among classic items such as paintings of Jesus and praying hands were new products seeking to capitalize on the WWJD phenomenon and secular successes such as the New York Times bestsellers "Chicken Soup for the Soul" and "Life's Little Instruction Book."

"Soup" is now being served in a variety of flavors: "Chicken Soup for the Teen-age Soul," "Woman's Soul," "Mother's Soul," "Pet Lover's Soul" and "Country Soul."

The "God's Little Instruction Book" series includes volumes of advice for men, women, students and others.

The WWJD concept, which is not trademarked, is popping up on CDs, Bibles, books, T-shirts, hats, latte mugs and stuffed animals.

All those products are helping to drive Christian consumerism to new heights.

The CBA reports that sales in the group's 2,500 retail stores in the United States have increased an average of 12 percent since last year.

Christian retailing is posting annual sales of $3 billion, up from about $1 billion in 1980, according to the association.

"This is both a ministry challenge as well as a business challenge," said Bill Anderson, president of CBA. "It is not a matter of balancing business and ministry. It is an integration of the two."

Last year, Anderson launched an initiative to double sales in the 2,500 member stores by 2002.

Called "Impact X 2," the program is not designed solely to make money for Christian businesses, Anderson said.

"It's about people," he said. "It's about impacting the lives of more people for Christ. But since we are in retail, our impact will be measured by sales."

Anderson said those sales are being helped by mainstream stores such as Wal-Mart, Kmart and Target.

"I think retailers have realized that this is not just some church basement subculture," he said. "For 88 million Americans, being an evangelical Christian is a way of life."

But not all retailers are cheered by talk of increased sales, because much of the growth is taking place in areas that have little to do with Christian discipleship.

Product areas with the largest percentage of growth in 1997 included jewelry (50 percent) and clothing (28 percent), according to CBA.

"I think there is more and more product, but it's getting more and more into gift-type things," said Alister Stott of Australia, who was making his 11th visit to a CBA convention. He owns two bookstores in the state of Tasmania.

"Gift books are lovely, but how much are they going to influence people?" he asked.

Stott said he stocks the front of his stores with greeting cards because he knows they draw customers.

"You have to trade profitably if you want to stay in business," he said. "It's really market-driven. It's what people are asking for."

Although he bends to the demands of the market, Stott said, he hopes his customers will venture deeper into his store for books that will nurture their faith.

"That's probably what keeps me hanging in there," he said. "I do as much as I can."

(c) 1998, Fort Worth Star-Telegram

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