The Episcopal Bookstore: Keeping Booksellers Alive with Endicia

Episcopal Bookstore's Shipping Need

Driven by overwhelming support from the religious book community, John Marshall and his wife Nancy purchased the Episcopal Bookstore in 1992 to share their passion for Christian literature with the world. The pair cultivated the modest bookstore to eventually include 15,000 titles and an e-commerce website, providing books for their growing faithful readership.

Yet, the Episcopal Bookstore faced increasing competition from big businesses and national chain booksellers. Marshall needed a shipping solution that would allow his company to operate like a big business without sacrificing its “family-run” feel. He and his wife sought a technology that would streamline the shipping process, identify the most cost-effective delivery options, verify customer addresses and add professionalism to its packaging labels.

Endicia's Solution

After researching his options, Marshall chose Endicia. He soon found that the software increased efficiency, improved productivity and reduced his shipping costs, all of which helped him level the playing field between the Episcopal Bookstore and its big bookselling competitors.

Since starting with Endicia in 2009, the Episcopal Bookstore has increased sales by 32 percent, shipping almost exclusively with the USPS. Marshall appreciates Endicia’s address verification system, which allows him to recall and verify the 35,000 customer addresses in his database so that he can print labels accurately and with ease. This proves to be especially valuable prior to the Christmas and Easter holidays, when Episcopal Bookstore experiences a five-fold seasonal increase.

Endicia’s software also allows the Episcopal Bookstore to produce professional-looking labels, complete with its business logo. In addition, Endicia automatically updates package tracking information to promptly share with the Episcopal Bookstore’s customers.

“My wife and I are passionate about the books we sell and people we serve,” said Marshall. “With Endicia, we’re able to put our best foot forward by delivering phenomenal customer service (and personal attention) to our community of book lovers worldwide.”