The Bookseller.com

30th August 2008

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Leicester SPCK goes independent

15.11.07 Graeme Neill

The manager of SPCK's Leicester branch has bought the store from its owners, the Orthodox Christian charity SSG, and renamed it Christian Resources. Peter Hebden, the shop's owner, purchased the stock and the property from the charity's heads, Mark and Phil Brewer, and began a new lease.

The Brewers have recently renamed the 25 store strong chain SSG in the hope of reinforcing its "traditional Christian values". "I felt the future direction of SSG didn't feel quite right for the Leicester store," said Hebden. "I appealed to the Brewers and said it was a special case because Leicester is an interfaith city with mixed denominations. We needed to go our own way and they agreed."

Hebden said that the store will stock literature from a range of denominations including Anglican, Methodist and Afro-Carribean churches. It will also sell books to churches on a sale or return basis that they can sell in church stalls. "The range of books will extend a little because we
wanted to give customers more of a spread," added Hebden.

Retail Graeme Neill SPCK