Aug 24, 2013

Big or Small, Bookstores an Able Ministry to FaithfulBy Marilyn LanfordArkansas-Catholic.org

Fort Smith, AR – With changes in the publishing world brought on by social media and technology, Catholic bookstores today reflect these differences in a myriad of ways. Bookstores and gift shops in parishes around Arkansas still serve individual customers but must also contend with rising shipping costs and competition from the Internet.

Arkansas’ oldest religious goods and bookstore, Guardian Church Goods, was established in 1950 by Msgr. Thomas Prendergast for Arkansas Catholic, then known as The Guardian. Today’s owner, Michael Lipsmeyer, said “These current problems — the cost of freight and the Internet — have had an impact on businesses everywhere. Shipping costs continue to go up.”

In order to compete, the store has created an online catalog for its customers.

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