Grand Rapids, MI—Baker Book House, the largest independent Christian bookstore in North America, has seen dramatic increases in website sales and third-party online sales in recent weeks as customers continue to purchase books and Bibles during the Covid-19 crisis.
“Our website sales have risen 120 percent from this time last year, and our third-party sales through Amazon have tripled over the same period,” said Sue Smith, EVP of Retail.
Smith credits the increases to customer loyalty, faster shipping through the store, and author recommendations.
“Christian authors, eager to get word out about their new books, are directing their readers to our store because the books ship so much faster,” said Smith. “For instance, fiction author Lynn Austin announced on Facebook that her new book ‘If I Were You’ was available for preorder through our store; we sold 200 preorders in one day to people all over the country.”
Curbside pickup started when Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer allowed stores to do so in late April. Callers request a book, credit card information is taken, and the book is either ordered for later pickup or picked off the shelf for immediate pickup. Customers call when they arrive, and a masked store employee brings the merchandise out to the car.
“We see a steady stream all day long of people calling and picking up their books,” said Smith. “We’ve received so many comments from people who appreciate that they can get what they need.”
She says about a third of total sales are fiction titles, with high Bible sales that Smith credits to “when we’re going through a crisis, Bible reading goes up.” The store ships to customers around the country.
Smith sees the pivot to website sales, third-party online sales, and curbside pickup as a positive sign for future traffic for the store. “This means our community is committed to us, and we hope it only grows. Also, we’re serving our many authors and are delighted to work closely with them to increase their sales and profile.”
Visit www.bakerbookhouse.com to order, or call the store at 616-957-3110.
About Baker Book House
Baker Book House was founded in 1939, when Herman Baker started the store with 500 books from his personal library. Baker is known world-wide for a deep selection of Christian titles, including new, used, and bargain books. Visit www.bakerbookhouse.com for more information.
Contact: Sue Smith, EVP of Retail, 616-957-3110, sue.smith@bakerbookhouse.com
