History
Beginning with one tiny flyer for one small store, The Parable Group grew and is now the leading marketing association of independent Christian retailers across the nation.
In 1985, owner and founder Steve Potratz created a simple flyer to attract new customers to The Parable, his Christian store in San Luis Obispo, California. At the time, he had no idea that this marketing piece was the foundation God was laying for the future. A fellow store owner saw the flyer and liked it so much he asked Steve to print a few for his own customers. Within the year, Steve's growing company, named after his store, was producing flyers for 10 other stores.
Steve quickly realized that by working together, an alliance of stores could increase the quality and quantity of marketing tools produced and one year later, The Parable Group was producing catalogs for 50 stores.
The young company quickly built a reputation for quality, creativity and success unsurpassed in the Christian marketing industry, and the number of Parable Christian Stores continued to grow.
Now there are Parable Christian Stores nationwide. As the Parable team has grown, so have the services. More than just catalogs and flyers, The Parable Group now offers web sites, national advertising, exclusive products and sophisticated analysis of sales data. Keeping the future of the independent in mind, Parable launched Parable Franchise bringing the strength of a national brand and a turn-key business plan to local markets.
Steve and his dedicated team continue to strive for excellence in supporting those whose business is their ministry, relying on God's leading to determine Parable's path. The driving force behind Parable's enormous success is a strong set of corporate values that translate into profitable business practices and increased ministry opportunities. The Parable Mission Statement is: "To resoundingly impact the Kingdom of God by equipping Christian retail ministries to be successful, sought-after havens of Christ's love."
We are in the business of bringing people together to accomplish tasks that can not be achieved alone. We are privileged to be able to watch for areas where God is working and get involved. God is working in a mighty way and He has gifted us to serve Him. I believe we have the best stores in the world to work with, wonderful vendors with a heart for God and the tools to get the job done. Together we can accomplish great things for the Kingdom.
-Steve Potratz
