Christian Supply (Spartanburg, SC) and Berean Christian Stores (headquartered in Cincinnati, OH) are the first Christian stores to launch e-book sales from their Web sites. The retailers have been working with Ingram Digital Content Services as the wholesaler. Ingram provides digital content and fulfills retailer e-book sales in various formats through the retailers’ Web sites. More than 3,000 digital titles are promoted through the sites.

The Parable Group and Mardel Christian & Education are expected to launch e-book sales soon as part of a cooperative project with Ingram through Spring Arbor Distributors. Spring Arbor/Ingram was one of the e-book solutions presented to retailers in an industry task force. Other Christian stores and chains are also expected to launch e-book sales soon, although specific plans and solution providers haven’t been announced.

Other e-book providers also have been developing e-book delivery programs, including Signature Websites and Integra Interactive.

Aquinas and More Catholic Goods announced its existing Internet storefront program, which includes e-book sales, now has linkage to help Catholic stores market through social media. The Catholic Internet Storefront program enables stores to tie their blog, Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and Addthis accounts directly to their Aquinas and More Internet Storefront. The company’s Catholic Digital Services offers hardcopy and PDF conversion to both the Kindle and ePub formats for books and mp3 conversions for CDs as well as consultation services to publishers in getting their books into distribution channels.