No Rest For Christian Stores On Sunday
By George Anderson
Family Christian Stores, a 325-store national retail chain, will open for business on Sundays for the first time this fall.
Dave Browne, chief executive officer, Family Christian Stores told the Dallas Morning News, “Customers tell us that they work Monday through Friday, are occupied with
soccer and the kids’ activities on Saturday.” He added, “We believe we’re missing an opportunity to get inspirational products into people’s hands.”
LifeWay Christian Stores, owned by the Southern Baptist Convention, has no plans to follow Family Christian’s lead. Bruce Munns, director of retail store operations said, “LifeWay
Christian Stores has never had a practice of opening on Sunday and there is no intention of opening on Sunday across the chain. Even orders, which are placed by customers on Sundays
through our Web site, are not processed until Monday. We see Sunday as an important day for our employees to spend in church and with their families.”
Moderator’s Comment: How big a retail business opportunity are religious items? Do you think secular businesses, which also sell religious items such
as books, cards, music, candles, etc., are behind the decision by Christian stores to open on Sunday?
We wonder if Wal-Mart is also the nation’s leading retailer of religious items. [George
Anderson – Moderator]
