[Stacey.]

Originally Posted by LeatherTrumpet

Well done Wallmart

Zondervan to Release New Line of Bibles First at Walmart

Essential Bible Series is world's first carbon-neutral series of Bibles

18th September 2009: Zondervan, the world's leading Bible publisher, today announced it will publish a custom collection of Bibles created specifically for its consumers' needs and sold for a limited time exclusively at Walmart. The new line, called the Essential Bible Series, features premium quality Bibles that are also certified carbon neutral and satisfy the needs of shoppers seeking a more simple and accessible Bible for themselves or to give to others.

The 12 Bibles in the line include both first-time offered editions and redesigned and repackaged best-sellers. The products were selected based on research with Walmart shoppers that revealed 42 percent of consumers did not realize that Walmart carried Bibles and those who knew, found their Bible shopping experience confusing. The Essential Bible Series was developed to demystify the shopping experience by offering unique products with clear and recognizable packaging to help Walmart shoppers better navigate the Bible aisle so they can easily find the Bible that meets their unique needs.

"Walmart appeals to shoppers because it's familiar and inviting, yet there was a clear opportunity in the Bible category to make the product more accessible and eliminate confusion," said Chip Brown, senior vice president and publisher of Bibles at Zondervan. "The Essential Bible Series is presented in a simple and personal way to help make Bible selection easy, so that consumers can walk away feeling confident that they have put the right Bible in their cart."

Zondervan said the new line also represents an exponential increase in product quality for mass-market Bibles and will be the world's first CarbonNeutral(R) certified series of Bibles, aligning with Walmart's environmental stewardship efforts. As Zondervan strives to increase its operational efficiency and minimize its environmental impact, taking responsibility for the emissions related to this series of Bibles became an obvious step.

To achieve CarbonNeutral(R) publication status, the emissions produced by the printing, production, storage and distribution of the Bibles to Walmart were independently measured by a third party assessor, and reduced to net zero through carbon offsetting. Zondervan worked with The CarbonNeutral Company to purchase and retire high quality carbon credits from emission reduction projects verified to internationally recognized standards.

Neil Braun, CEO, The CarbonNeutral Company, said, "By taking responsibility to measure and reduce the carbon footprint of the Walmart series of Bibles and by achieving CarbonNeutral(R) publication certification, Zondervan has demonstrated environmental leadership among Bible publishers. We applaud Zondervan's efforts to meet and exceed its customers' increasingly high environmental standards."

The Essential Bible Series will be available first at Walmart stores nationwide starting in September 2009 and will be a Walmart exclusive through January 2010. Bibles in the series include: The New International Version (NIV) Study Bible; two large print editions of the NIV Bible in standard and Italian Duo-Tone bindings; a large print edition of the King James Version (KJV) Bible; three gift bibles in Italian Duo-Tone bindings (two NIV, one KJV); The Busy Mom's Bible in Italian Duo-Tone; The Adventure Bible and The Beginners Bible, both in standard binding; and the Backpack Bible for Boys and the Backpack Bible for Girls, both in Italian Duo-Tone binding.

is that you, Stephen?