Family Christian, a nonprofit retailer based in Grand Rapids, Mich., operating 240 stores in 36 states, will close after 85 years in business. The Detroit Free Press reported that the company, which bills itself as the "world's largest retailer of Christian-themed merchandise" and employs more than 3,000 people, said "it had been facing declining sales since filing for bankruptcy protection in 2015, and it now has no choice but to shut down." It sells a variety of items, including Bibles, Christian-themed books, stationery, clothes, jewelry and church supplies.
"Despite improvements in product assortment and the store experience, sales continued to decline," said Chuck Bengochea, Family Christian's president. "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."