RELEASE OF ’NARNIA,’ DEBATE OVER HOLIDAY TERMS PUSH SALES AT SEVERAL AREA STORES
By WAYNE HEILMAN THE GAZETTE
Christmas shopping at stores that sell Christianfocused gifts has been boosted by the early December release of “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,” a fantasy rich in Christian allegory.
For example, Aslan the lion is said to be not just the king of beasts, but the King of Kings as Jesus Christ is called.
“The Narnia merchandise is selling really big; we’ve had to reorder several times,” said Charles Johnson, owner of the 1-year-old Christian Outlet Bookstore, 2310 Vickers Drive, in northeast Colorado Springs. “We also are selling a lot of books and Bibles as gifts.”
Other Christian gift shops also see strong sales in books as well as other religious merchandise during the Christmas season.
Many say they do up to 50 percent of their business during the holidays.
Books such as Rick Warren’s “The Purpose Driven Life” and Joel Osteen’s “Your Best Life Now: 7 Steps to Living at Your Full Potential,” sell well yearround, but they are moving off the shelves at an even faster rate during the Christmas season, Johnson said.
Dora Bonebrake, owner of The Guardian Angel
Store, which opened 7 1/2 months ago near The Citadel mall, said the Christian store will generate half its sales this year between Thanksgiving and Christmas from angel figures, jewelry and Advent wreathes.
“Sales were really slow during the summer, but we have done fairly well since September and we started to see a large increase in sales the week after Thanksgiving,” Bonebrake said. “We believe that we are doing really well for a new business.”
All Things Catholic, a fiveyear-old religious merchandise store in Chapel Hills Mall, began selling Christmas items in September and has recorded strong sales of books and videos about St. Nicholas that are aimed at children, owner Diane Clennan said.
The store also has benefitted from the debate over other retailers promoting sales on a generic holiday theme rather than a Christmas theme.
“There is a push to keep Christ in Christmas. People realize you can’t take it for granted any more,” Clennan said. “We are seeing more emphasis on gifts that have to do with what the season is all about — the birth of Christ. It has been a been a huge positive.”
One item that isn’t selling well is Nativity sets, said Magdalene Green, owner of the Fountain, a Catholic gift shop in downtown Colorado Springs.
“We’ve had to discount things that haven’t moved very well, and Nativity sets is one of them. People want something inexpensive,” Green said. “If it’s nice but just a little bit pricey, they will go to Kmart, Wal-Mart or Foley’s and buy something less expensive.”
JERILEE BENNETT, THE GAZETTE
- Abigail Bonebrake hung out with her mom, Dora, at her mother’s store, The Guardian Angel Store, at The Citadel (now located at 5020 N Academy Blvd, Colorado Springs CO, 80918).
