EASTPOINTE, Mich. -- The Christian retail market is booming and branching out to such mainstream stores as Sam's Club, Wal-Mart and Barnes & Noble, according to The Detroit News.
The $4 billion market includes books, Bibles, music, gifts, software and videos, according to the Christian Booksellers Association International. The Colorado Springs, Colo.-based organization represents 2,800 Christian retailers, publishers and suppliers.
Most popular among consumers, though, is the Bible.
"So many of the answers to many of life's questions are in the Bible, and it remains a product that people can go to get answers," Zondervan spokesman Mark Rice said.
Zondervan, a Detroit-based publishing house, distributed 1 million Bibles in September 2001 -- double the company's normal shipping rates, Rice said.
Dwight Baker, president of Bakers Book House, also based in Detroit, said he's pleased that Christian resources are making their way into mainstream America.
"Our (products) are now available in much wider retail venues than they were even 10 years ago," said Baker, whose company published 200 new books last year. "It was highly segmented. Now it's spread all out."
