The Bookseller.com

12th October 2008

Book chain drops SPCK name

07.11.07 Graeme Neill

The 200-year-old SPCK bookshop name is being dropped by new Orthodox parent company St Stephen the Great, which is renaming the chain SSG in the hope of reinforcing its "traditional Christian values".

SSG, an Orthodox Christian charity headed by Phil and Mark Brewer, took control of the 23-store chain last year. Mark Brewer said that "with more and more SPCK [published] books carrying a decidedly 'liberal' agenda rather than traditional Christian values, [SSG] feel the time has come to distance themselves from SPCK".

The Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge was founded in the 1690s, with bookshops around from the early 1800s. It is also the country's third oldest publisher. In October 2006, all of the shops were transferred to the Saint Stephen the Great Charitable Trust.

The name change was unveiled last week amid a rocky period for the retailer. An SPCK insider claimed that 100 staff had left the company since the Brewers took control of the chain. "They have huge staffing issues. People keep leaving and whole shops have walked." Carole Burrows, manager of Durham Cathedral, resigned from her position on 31st October, while 11 staff resigned from the Exeter branch earlier in October.

But Mark Brewer said the company had a turnover of staff "one might expect" for an organisation of its size. He added that people resign for a number of reasons "and by no means are those reasons always a reflection of something to be concerned about.

"It is important that the people who work for this charity want to work for it and are devoted to supporting its work because it is not 'just a job'; it is a mission," he said. Brewer added that he has no intention to sell off stores. "I did not agree on behalf of Saint Stephen the Great to acquire 23 brilliant locations in great cathedral cities throughout the country, only to sell them a year later," he said.

"These shops are like the talents the Lord spoke of in the parable, and to earn His favour as 'good and faithful servants' we must invest these talents for His glory. That is why I have taken a bold e-commerce initiative to become the dominant online Christian bookseller. I have also opened two new shops since the acquisition."

The stores will continue to sell a range of gifts, religious articles, icons, greeting cards and books. "We intend to emphasise products which are of interest to the Christian public and to those men and women who are seeking a knowledge of the Son of God," said Brewer.

The last remaining representatives of SPCK, Bishop Michael Perham and Simon Kingston, resigned from the board of the bookshop chain two weeks ago, citing a "conflict of interest". 

Retail Graeme Neill SPCK bookhop

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