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Living Oasis decline "extremely regrettable" - BA

01.01.70 | Graeme Neill

Christian bookselling chain Living Oasis has admitted only one of its branches is making any profit as it culled another shop last week, reducing its total number of stores from 19 to four in just four months.

Living Oasis Cheltenham shut up shop last Friday (8th July), becoming the chain’s fifth closure in four weeks. Ray George, the chain’s owner, said only the Harrogate branch is making money. On average the recently closed stores were losing £2,000–£4,000 a month, which George said was ­unsustainable.

George’s intention when he bought the 19 former Wesley Owen bookshops through his Nationwide Christian Trust company was to move their premises and incorporate a coffee shop and a community space in “phase two” of the chain’s development, which he hopes to implement in the Liver­pool and Leeds branches. To achieve this, George needed the support of churches and the local community, but stores were closing where support was lacking.

Eddie Olliffe, former Wesley Owen m.d. who now works for Christian publisher and trainer CWR, said: “I think the model was flawed—to rely on financial support from the church community I think was naïve, because churches themselves are struggling and perhaps do not have the resources or the vision.”

Meryl Halls, head of membership at the Booksellers Association, said the store closures were “extremely regrettable” and that the Christian bookselling market had been in a state of “controlled flux” since the collapse of ­distributor STL. She added: “It seems likely that these aftershocks are still part of that ­shake-down.”­

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By Graham Smith

Looking back to the time of the Reformation, I guess many folk who traded in relics and indulgences might have found themselves in a similar position, as their paradigm shifted.

This makes me wonder if we're part of a paradigm shift, ourselves.

Perhaps, as folk stopped mass-purchasing of "visual aids" (i.e. relics) with the advent of the printed page, we are witnesses of a 21st century paradigm shift as electronic distribution of audio and visual media (think podcasts and YouTube) replaces the printed page? Are today's booksellers going to go the same way as chantery priests and indulgence sellers?

Mon, 18/07/2011 - 15:39
By JMW

Not so much making money but generating enough to cover the overheads. No bookseller scred or secular has ever made much cash

Mon, 25/07/2011 - 12:30
By Roger

Re. The now closed Cheltenham shop

A year or so ago I pointed out to the then manager at Cheltenham that the shop was next door was (and still is) a Christian owned computer business and that they had an option to open a 'computer cafe' (with Christian books. At the time they were still looking for larger premises in order to fulfil the original plan, but now the shop has shut then this option can be explored.

One of the problems (amongst others) of Christian bookshops is that the customers are mostly Christians and I believe that this idea would bring others in to the sphere of Christian ministry who would otherwise not go near a church.

I take Graham Smith's point that things have moved on so this could be the way to go. I live out of Cheltenham so it's over to you.

Fri, 29/07/2011 - 11:59
By Melanie C

I think I very much have to agree with both Meryl and Eddie, a flawed niavete going in, although done very much with the best of intentions, on the back of the STL collapse has led to this situation in a time of great change.
The sadness is the effect this might have on the communities going forward, and those who otherwise might have stepped into the breach and moved forward to opening more realistically planned bookshops, these now might never happen and if they do the path may be harder due to the close/open/close and blame scenario as has occured here. Deeply sad for everyone involved.

Mon, 18/07/2011 - 13:55
By James

Making money ????
So that's how we Christians measure success?
Phew for a minute I was worried it may have been something bigger than that ....

Wed, 20/07/2011 - 17:10
By JMW

Not so much making money but generating enough to cover the overheads. No bookseller scred or secular has ever made much cash

Mon, 25/07/2011 - 12:29
By Melanie C

I think I very much have to agree with both Meryl and Eddie, a flawed niavete going in, although done very much with the best of intentions, on the back of the STL collapse has led to this situation in a time of great change.
The sadness is the effect this might have on the communities going forward, and those who otherwise might have stepped into the breach and moved forward to opening more realistically planned bookshops, these now might never happen and if they do the path may be harder due to the close/open/close and blame scenario as has occured here. Deeply sad for everyone involved.

Mon, 18/07/2011 - 13:55
By Graham Smith

Looking back to the time of the Reformation, I guess many folk who traded in relics and indulgences might have found themselves in a similar position, as their paradigm shifted.

This makes me wonder if we're part of a paradigm shift, ourselves.

Perhaps, as folk stopped mass-purchasing of "visual aids" (i.e. relics) with the advent of the printed page, we are witnesses of a 21st century paradigm shift as electronic distribution of audio and visual media (think podcasts and YouTube) replaces the printed page? Are today's booksellers going to go the same way as chantery priests and indulgence sellers?

Mon, 18/07/2011 - 15:39
By James

Making money ????
So that's how we Christians measure success?
Phew for a minute I was worried it may have been something bigger than that ....

Wed, 20/07/2011 - 17:10
By JMW

Not so much making money but generating enough to cover the overheads. No bookseller scred or secular has ever made much cash

Mon, 25/07/2011 - 12:29
By JMW

Not so much making money but generating enough to cover the overheads. No bookseller scred or secular has ever made much cash

Mon, 25/07/2011 - 12:30
By Roger

Re. The now closed Cheltenham shop

A year or so ago I pointed out to the then manager at Cheltenham that the shop was next door was (and still is) a Christian owned computer business and that they had an option to open a 'computer cafe' (with Christian books. At the time they were still looking for larger premises in order to fulfil the original plan, but now the shop has shut then this option can be explored.

One of the problems (amongst others) of Christian bookshops is that the customers are mostly Christians and I believe that this idea would bring others in to the sphere of Christian ministry who would otherwise not go near a church.

I take Graham Smith's point that things have moved on so this could be the way to go. I live out of Cheltenham so it's over to you.

Fri, 29/07/2011 - 11:59

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