ITEMS of INTEREST

with contributions from Frank Norton, Janet Hughes, Manya A. Brachear, Peter Smith

"According To The Christian Booksellers Association, sales in the industry more than quadrupled to $4.2 billion between 1980 and 2002. And most industry observers say that interest in such merchandise is intensifying....

"Tyndale, a publisher of religious media, said shipments for its 'New Living Translation' Bible are up more than 10 percent over last year and that total sales have been up since September 11, 2001, a milestone event for Christian merchandising. But it isn't just about Bibles and other books anymore. Consumers can now find Christian-themed jewelry, apparel, music, videos, software, and gifts. And increasingly they're being drawn to big-box discount stores, which are vying for a piece of the action....

"Perhaps the biggest shift is the industry's rapidly expanding distribution network. 'It used to be that if you wanted a Christian book or record, you had to go to the corner Christian store. Those days are over,' Anderson said. 'Now you can go to big-box discounters, media outlets, and the Internet. They're all gaining a share of the market.' "

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