Sad news for fans of Christian media: There will now be fewer places to buy your Christian books, movies, and music.
Citing declining sales and the changing marketplace, Christian retail chain Family Christian is closing up shop after 85 years. The closing will shutter 240 stores and affects more than 3,000 employees.
The chain had changed owners over the years and went through a bankruptcy in 2015.
In announcing the decision to close, company president Chuck Bengochea posted a letter on the retailer’s website. He said the company never quite regained its footing after the bankruptcy.
“Despite improvements in product assortment and the store experience, sales continued to decline. In addition, we were not able to get the pricing and terms we needed from our vendors to successfully compete in the market. We have prayerfully looked at all possible options, trusting God’s plan for our organization, and the difficult decision to liquidate is our only recourse.”
Tyndale House Publishers chairman and CEO Mark Taylor put the loss in perspective for Christian readers:
“Family’s millions of customers now have even fewer options for finding these wonderful, life-giving products. The entire Christian community—indeed the entire nation—will be poorer as a result of this pending closure.”