Parable Offers More Customization for

Private Label Websites

Monday, July 10, 2000—Parable Christian Stores participating in the Private Label Website program can now further customize their e-commerce site thanks to a new “Powered By Parable” program. Launching during the 2000 CBA International Convention in New Orleans, “Powered By Parable” is a comprehensive web-based program that puts individual store owners in control of their own websites.

The “Powered By Parable” program combines the latest e-commerce technology with state-of-the-art point of sales information. Three new functions are now available to Private Label members via the “Powered By Parable” program:

1) Editorial Customization: Each store can customize product shown on its main screen pages, including the Books, Bibles, Music and Videos sections.

2) Website Sales Summary: Stores can access sales transactions for any date range.

3) Customer Order Information: Stores may access detailed information about individual orders, including date placed, customer address, product orders and tracking numbers.

“Powered By Parable puts the store in the driver’s seat for its e-commerce solutions,” says Ron Johnston, Vice President, Technology Services for The Parable Group. “Each website can be tailored to the needs and interest of their customer base—efficiently and effectively.”

The Private Label website program was established to allow independent Parable stores to compete on a level playing field with chain stores that boast impressive online commerce capabilities. For a one-time fee of $495, Parable member stores gain a personalized websites with complete e-commerce capabilities, customized with the stores’ own logos and images. Order fulfillment and customer service are provided centrally by The Parable Group, while the customized sites allow stores to maintain local personality and flavor on the web. More than 70,000 Christian books, Bibles, music and video products are available and updated every 24 hours on the Private Label websites. Since the program was announced at CBA Expo on January 24, 2000, more than 70 Parable Christian Stores have signed onto the Private Label Website program.

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“Powered By Parable,” page two

Parable will continue to expand the services offered to its Private Label Sites by “Powered by Parable” program. In the future, stores will be able to customize prices on specific products, download customer information into their own computer systems and create “Events” and “Store Location” pages for the site.

Parable Christian Stores consists of more than 300 independently owned retail stores, located in the U.S. and Canada and has combined total sales of more than $422 million in 1999. Parable is America’s Leading Christian Retailer®, and ranks as #3 in sales for bookselling “chains” behind only Barnes & Noble and Borders.

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July 10, 2000