A New Model for the Shops at Montreat

In its long-range strategic plan, Montreat Books and Gifts and the General Store are referred to as "the front porch" of Montreat Conference Center. Thanks to a gracious, helpful staff and a tireless team of volunteers, our guests enjoy what President Pete Peery has called "stunning hospitality" when they stop in to shop, to get directions, to attend special events, or to simply say hello. Montreat's retail operation does much to help the MRA live into its mission and ministry.

As Montreat navigates a shaky national economy and a book market that is seeing more online purchases of physical and digital media, the time has come to re-imagine what the "front porch" of Montreat will look like in the future. To this end, the decision has been made to consolidate Montreat's retail operations, Montreat Books and Gifts and the General Store, into one shop. Both stores will remain open through January 6, 2012, at which time the Moore Center building will be re-fitted and re-imagined to accommodate this new step in the life of Montreat's retail operation.

The consolidation of both shops necessitates a radical reduction in inventory, which means you should be on the lookout for big sales of books, gifts, clothing, and more in the coming weeks and months. We'll keep you posted here on the Montreat Blog, as well as on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.

Note that these changes do not affect Ten Thousand Villages. For more information about this new model, read the e-newsletter.