Smaller stores may initially feel overwhelmed at the array of apparel options, and daunted by the thought of adding yet another category to their already complex inventory of books, Bibles, music and children's products.

However, many retailers find that a little product can go a long way, especially with a basic understanding of the category and of customers' preferences.

At For-All Bible Center in Joplin, Mo., T-shirts account for 85% of apparel sales. Store manager Chris Leiter said he uses apparel displays at the front of the store to draw traffic, as the majority of shoppers at Northpark Mall—where Leiter's store is located—are on the hunt for clothes.

"We ask ourselves, 'How do you get the attention of the people walking by?,' " Leiter said.

Pricing is also key. For years, Leiter and his staff had been asking vendors for an affordable Christian patriotic shirt, and once vendors like Kerusso began offering them with a $4.99 retail price, the store watched them fly off the shelves.

"We sell over 1,000 patriotic shirts every year," Leiter said.

But, for other stores, price point takes a backseat. Don Boessel, owner of Cornerstone Christian Store in Kissimmee, Fla., said he and his staff are "not so concerned" about the price. "I'm more concerned with the quality of the tee itself," he said.

Boessel's store has been selling apparel since day one of its 24-year history, and in that time, "primarily we have tried to use good presentation to sell the tee." Cornerstone developed its own display method, which involves stretching a T-shirt over a foam board, putting the board face-up inside a galvanized bucket, then attaching the bucket to the wall. The store has received positive feedback on this simple display.

'Very Selective'

Another key to Cornerstone's success, Boessel said, is that they have been "very selective" about product. Boessel's philosophy about Christian apparel informs his buying choices.

"Christianity has been so stereotyped in a negative fashion," he said. "I think you need to make sure whatever you wear on your T-shirt does not reinforce that awful stereotype, but rather surprises people, maybe with how well it's done, how clever and (its) subtlety."

Salil Jain, CEO of apparel company Jesus Branded, agreed: "Christian T-shirts historically have a bad rap for being 'cheap' and 'cheesy.' … It is important for retailers to edit their selection well—just like buyers for a clothing boutique."

When selecting product for the store, "our recommendation to retailers is to use their knowledge of their customer base," Jain said.

For Crystal Morris at Heart of the Shepherd in Kilmarnock, Va., ordering product for her niche market is crucial. The store's best-selling apparel items are "Go Fishing" T-shirts. "We live in a fishing village," Morris explained, "so we try to get … themes for the area."

'Effective Placement'

In addition to selecting the best products, retailers have found that it's vital to place apparel in the right section of the store. However, while some retailers insist that apparel must be positioned near the music department, others say it needs to be located at the front of the store.

Beverly Channel, co-owner of Wellspring Christian Resources in Des Moines, Iowa, said she has a wall of T-shirts "right next to the music department" and other apparel in an adjacent teen and tween section.

Jesus Branded recommends that retailers "place the clothing near the music." "Without fail, this is the most effective placement," Jain said.

Others stress that apparel should be put at the front of the store to attract passing shoppers. Kerusso Vice President of Sales Rusty Dycus emphasizes that stores should keep the apparel "towards the front."

Leiter keeps his patriotic T-shirt display front and center in the store, but has still found a way to take advantage of the music/apparel cross-merchandising opportunity. Though apparel is near the entrance, he said, "we do have 10 or 15 T-shirts displayed back in the music section … because some people come in with music on the mind and head straight to that section in the back of the store."

Once in the music section, Leiter explained, "people will look at them and say, 'Where are those?,' and we'll direct them to that part of the store."

For many retailers, another key to increasing T-shirt sales has been Kerusso's Lighthouse Apparel Center, which displays 20 T-shirt screens in an easy-to-use, portable unit that only takes up approximately 4 square feet of floor space. Kerusso recently polled more than 250 retailers and found that the average store had seen a fourfold increase in apparel sales after getting the Lighthouse.

Apparel sales at Rainbow Christian Book & Gift in Colonial Heights, Va., have increased "a whole lot" since getting the Lighthouse, said owner Gary Hoffman. He also noted the affordability of the shirts in the unit, saying "the price being a little bit lower makes all the difference."

Norman Link, manager of Grand Book & Bible in New Castle, Pa., said that although his store doesn't have the Lighthouse yet, the idea's been "kicked around for a while here," and he hoped to get one soon.

Link recognized the importance of apparel during his seven-year career at a Family Christian Stores location. Since he began a year ago at Grand Book & Bible—which had never previously sold apparel—he's been "slowly working (it) into the scheme of things."

'A Little Encouragement'

Vendors such as Life is God and Kerusso help retailers sell their products via newsletters that offer tips on selling and merchandising. Life is God offers a 2-by-4-foot oval sign for window display, and vendors like Jesus Branded provide buttons and postcards for retailers to give shoppers free with merchandise.

Sales reps for the NOTW (Not Of This World) clothing line help stores set up "NOTW Power Walls," said company founder Aurelio Barreto. These displays provide retailers with "the NOTW brand feel they need to succeed," he said.

Kerusso's sales reps are also trained to coach retailers on how to strengthen their apparel departments.

However, in order to make full use of the apparel department, the manager must pass along product knowledge and selling tips to frontliners. At Omega Bookstore in Kansas City, Mo., "probably a fourth" of the inventory consists of apparel during the summer, said owner Ron Campbell, and the store addresses selling apparel in staff training.

Hoffman's store also discusses apparel as a regular part of employee training. He said he's found it helpful for an employee to just "be in the vicinity" when a shopper is looking at apparel. Prompting a sale can be simple, he said: "I guess people (just) need a little bit of encouragement, like, 'Hey, that looks good on you.' "