FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, January 29, 2002

Contact: Jana Muntsinger, 615.376.9442

jana@mmpublicrelations.com

PARABLE OFFERS COMPREHENSIVE RETAIL CONSULTING

New Auditing Service Analyzes Nine Major Areas

SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA–-Imagine if an experienced, outside expert would examine every area of your business—from financial cash flow to employee temperament testing—and offer feedback to increase store profitability and effectiveness. Starting in 2002, The Parable Group is offering this multi-faceted retail audit to its member stores, assessing nine critical areas in retailing. The new retail audit service serves as yet another step toward accomplishing the Parable goal of ‘helping stores grow.’

Stores of all sizes will benefit from this unique auditing service, which is a first for the industry. This operational audit provides an unprecedented opportunity for storeowners to acquire an in-depth analysis of the following operation areas:

1. Procedures—Examining POS procedures, staff scheduling, inventory policies

2. Financial Audit—Reviewing financial statements and cash flow

3. Merchandising—Analyzing store layout and displays, product assortment, features and end caps

4. Training—Increasing effective product training and staff communication

5. Employee Surveys—Performing temperament and company culture testing on all staff to determine best leadership management practices

6. MemberNet—Improving utilization of the online services available from Parable’s MemberNet website

7. Promotions—Assessing current and future promotions from ordering to store layout and display

8. Competition—Determining the major competitors in a particular market and how to increase a store’s market share

9. Consumer Survey—Quizzing customers on buying habits and influence factors

Parable member stores can pick from the nine areas—“cafeteria style”—tailoring the audit to the store’s specific needs. The cost of this audit depends upon how many of the nine areas are analyzed.

Parable’s Retail Consulting Services release, page two

Over the course of several days, Parable employees arrive onsite at a store, analyzing a bookstore’s business. Each owner participating in the audit will receive an extensive report containing specific analysis for the nine retail areas.

“Parable’s new retail consulting service provides a comprehensive and concrete audit of a member store’s business,” says Wayne Hastings, Vice President, Merchandising and Retail Development. “With the analysis comes a specific strategy for improvement. The better the store’s business, the better the store is able to reach its community for Christ.”

Parable’s Hastings says the new audit service was created in two phases. “First, we combined and expanded several existing services to stores. Then we canvassed the most successful business consulting services in the marketplace and tailored those programs to fit the unique needs of Christian retailers.”

Parable is a California-based marketing and retail services company that provides marketing materials for more than 1000 Christian retail outlets located in the U.S. and Canada representing over $400,000,000 in annual sales of Christian products to consumers. Parable Interactive provides the infrastructure and technology to more than 250 retailing and ministry websites. The Parable Group serves a select group of 275 member stores.

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January 29, 2002