Christian bookstores try to gain off Borders' loss

(RNS) The saying goes that when God closes a door, he opens a window.
So when the Borders bookstore chain -- the nation's second-largest
-- finishes closing all of its stores this month, Christian retailers
see a window of opportunity in the death of a mega-competitor that once
threatened to put them out of business.

With 70 percent of Christian retailers reporting flat or declining
sales last year, and overall sales dropping 3 percent according to the
Christian retail association CBA, proactive Christian booksellers,
marketing agencies and the 1,200-member CBA are taking any opportunities
they can.

After Borders announced its liquidation in July, Colorado Springs,
Colo.-based CBA sent an alert to member stores: "Post Borders Growth
Strategy: As Borders Shuts its Doors, Christian Booksellers Should Open
Theirs Wider."