![]() "We ask people to trust that we're going to provide things that are in line with the Bible," Waggoner says.īut some people think that focus might have been a factor in LifeWay's decline. LifeWay doesn't exclusively sell things that it publishes, but decisions about what to stock are guided by Southern Baptist standards: Whether customers buy VeggieTales, a children's series in which table foods act out Bible stories, or the latest album by Christian artist TobyMac, customers are assured it conforms to evangelical theology. CEO Waggoner says they tried to hang on - largely because they felt the stores provided a service to evangelicals like Oaks. The company peaked at 184 stores in 2013 and has closed only a few stores. but here, I have personally a connection because I feel the presence of God." "I can pick up a book and sit here and read and then have people come up and talk to me," she says, "So, it's not as though you're having worship. On this day, she is buying greeting cards, faith-based DVDs and a romance novel set in Amish country. Nashville resident Susan Oaks says she frequently spends hours at a time at LifeWay stores, including the company's location in Cool Springs, Tenn. "This is where I've been able to come and hang out and call it, you know, 'my secret place.' " So she turned to the nearest LifeWay store. Widowed after 41 years of marriage, she had moved from a dirt lane outside Fredericksburg, Va., to a high-rise in Nashville, Tenn. ![]() "The brick-and-mortar strategy was there to be salt and light out in those communities and to assist churches in doing what they do," Waggoner says, referring to biblical verses that call on Christians to be the "salt for the earth" and "light of the world." "So it's always been motivated by the ministry impact."įive years ago, Susan Oaks found herself starting over. LifeWay opened stores that sold nothing else. But those chains typically devoted just a few shelves to faith and spirituality. ![]() The company didn't get into retail until about three decades ago, when box stores like Barnes & Noble and Borders were taking off. The brick-and-mortar strategy was there to be salt and light.Įven today, publishing and hosting evangelical conferences remain its bread and butter.
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