Retailers taking Christian path to competition
Small specialty shops tolerant of business challenge from big-box retailers
July 27, 2006

DENVER - Chuck Wallington is probably one of the few retailers who welcomes Wal-Mart to the neighborhood, if somewhat reluctantly.

Wallington, who runs his family's business in Spartanburg, S.C., and his fellow Christian business owners walk a tightrope between their religious calling and the need to earn a living as they adjust to new competition from big-box retailers.

"As a Christian retailer, you're kind of torn because your mission statement, a big part of it, is getting the word of the gospel out," Wallington said. "If Wal-Mart is carrying Christian books, is that a bad thing? I'm not sure it is. But obviously, from a business standpoint, it's challenging."
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