Parable Core Inventory Reports Lauded by Member Stores

Monday, July 9^th—Atlanta, Georgia, CBA 2001—Parable member stores are seeing remarkable increases in sales due to the new Parable Core Inventory Reports, data provided exclusively in the CBA by The Parable Group. Debuted at CBA Expo 2001, the Parable Core Inventory Reports help retailers identify popular products they aren’t stocking through a unique blend of quantitative and qualitative data from as many as 200 Parable stores.

Wayne Hastings, Parable’s Vice President of Retail Development, is pleased with the store response: “Parable stores have been thrilled with how Core Inventory Reports have changed the way they stock their shelves. Owners can pick the cornerstone products that fit his or her own retail mission with a click of a button. It’s that easy.”

Michael Wall, owner of Bible Book Store in Billings, Montana, has seen the dramatic effect of Parable’s Core Inventory Reports first-hand. After comparing his stock to a customized Parable report, Wall ordered 415 additional titles. In less than 90 days, 165 of the 415 titles sold, equaling retail sales of $2,500. “The additional revenue is nice,” says Wall. “But the fact that we had more of what our customers wanted is the biggest benefit.”

Hastings notes that Parable’s Core Inventory Reports are more than accumulated best-seller lists. Core Inventory Reports are created from more than 80 million transactions at Parable stores nationally and regionally, as well as an individual title review by an experienced Parable retail team. “Retailers do not have the time to focus on intricate inventory models,” says Hastings. “Yet customers demand to have the products they want when they want them. Parable’s Core Inventory Reports makes the process simple—for both the retailer and the customer.”

Parable’s Core Inventory Reports are divided into five major product categories—TO COME. Most stores using point-of-sale systems like IBID and Bookstore Manager can download the report directly. By 2002, Parable believes that all major POS systems will be completely interfaced with its Core Inventory Reports, allowing retailers to download a suggested purchase order for missing product.

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Core Inventory Reports Update, page two

Parable Christian Stores consists of more than 300 independently owned Christian retail outlets located in the U.S. The Parable Group provides diverse marketing tools for its member stores such as e-commerce sites, in-store merchandising kits, exclusive products, weekly bestseller lists and catalogs. In 2000, Parable shipped more than 29.7 million catalogs, newspaper inserts, and other promotional mailings in 25 marketing campaigns.

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July 9, 2001