Bible sales in the U. S. are experiencing a massive surge
Rodney believes these record-breaking Bible sales began because of the pandemic.“ During COVID, people felt isolated and were searching for peace,” he explains. More recently, following the assassination of Charlie Kirk, there was another spike in sales, especially by Gen Z. According to Barna,“ Among Gen Z, 28 % reported taking a spiritual action and 13 % indicated taking a political action— proportions matched by Millennials. Among practicing Christians, 40 % took spiritual action and 13 % chose political action since Kirk’ s passing.” 2 Those searching for answers could be a key factor for the increased volume of Bible sales.
As retailers, you have the privilege of helping today’ s seekers find a Bible translation and format that is right for them. And because no two people are like, it is important to have Bibles in stock in a wide variety of versions, bindings and price points as space allows. At Divine Truth, around 600 square feet of the store’ s 10,000 square feet( i. e., 6 % of the total space) is dedicated entirely to Bibles. Rodney also keeps premium editions behind the counter, including specialty-bound Bibles and editions priced above $ 150.
When a customer comes in searching for a Bible, there are a few questions he asks to help his guests find the Bible they’ re looking for.
What translation are you looking for? If the customer says,“ English” or a specific language instead of a version, Rodney says more questions may be required. Be prepared to explain that translations range from word-for-word to thought-for-thought; and be sure to explain what the translation abbreviations stand for. If the customer is unsure of which translation he wants, there are helps available like Rose Publishing’ s Bible Translations Comparison pamphlet( 9781596361331) for a comparison of the different translations. Some retailers have shared that they help the customer look up a specific verse in different translations so he can read it in each of the versions and see for himself which one he understands best.
Rodney says that he is finding the NLT and ESV are two of the more popular translations in his store. But of course, NIV, NKJV, CSB and KJV continue to sell.
18 CRA today / www. christianretailassociation. org