Seagull Book & Tape
Encyclopedia
Seagull Book, formerly called Seagull Book & Tape, is an American
retail chain
bookstore focusing on products for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), with over two dozen stores in Utah
, Idaho
, Arizona
, and California
. It was the second largest LDS bookstore until being acquired in 2006 by market-leader Deseret Book
, and since then Seagull has continued to operate as a discount chain distinct from Deseret Book's retail stores.
, the owner of LDS publisher Covenant Communications. He had organized Covenant in 1984, which absorbed Covenant Recordings, an LDS audio tape producer which Kofford had owned since 1977. He intended Seagull to be a distribution channel for Covenant and other independent LDS publishers, and to fill a discount retail niche in the LDS market, by keeping low overhead and purchasing in volume. Headquartered in American Fork, Utah
, the bookstore was initially a division of Covenant Communications, and later its "sister company".
Seagull sold books, audio tapes, CDs, videos, and computer software. Some of its locations even bought and sold used and rare LDS books. In addition, the chain also sold traditional titles, such as self-improvement, fiction, children's books, cartoons and videos.
Though Deseret Book was the largest LDS retailer, it was also the largest LDS publisher, and so from its beginning Seagull sold Deseret Book products as a significant portion of its offerings. In the early 1990s LDS retailers, including Deseret Book, were rapidly expanding and the market had doubled since the 1970s. Seagull grew aggressively in its first few years and kept comparable offerings to Deseret Book.
The company was a Kofford family business. From 1990 to 1992, Lewis brought in his son Greg Kofford, an MIT graduate and Wall Street
investor, as Seagull's president and CEO. Afterward, Lewis Kofford himself served as president and CEO. In the 2000s, Jon Kofford was vice president of Marketing and executive vice president.
and Texas
, revenue increased dramatically, leading to plans for further expansion. By 1992 the company had nearly $4 million in annual sales, 35 employees, and 15 locations.
During the 1990s Seagull had a cooperative advertising program with independent publisher Bookcraft
, but when Deseret Book bought out Bookcraft in 1999 Seagull began to worry that Deseret Book would give preferential treatment to its own retail stores. In that same year Seagull launched SeagullBook.com as an online bookstore.
During the 2000s Seagull continued "chipping away" at Deseret Book as its main competitor. By 2006, it operated 26 stores with between 200 and 300 employees.
This announcement was "a complete surprise to Seagull management" who saw this as "a deliberate attack on its presence in the LDS market" and assumed "discount prices are the reason." Some worried this could crush Seagull's business, which was understood to rely on sales from Deseret Book products.
Attempting to negotiate their situation, Seagull Book consulted with a public relations company and scheduled a press conference. Within hours the conference was canceled when Deseret Book lifted their ban for one month to allow for talks with Seagull. As the companies explored the possibility of Deseret Book acquiring Seagull, the deadline was extended beyond August.
At the age of 67, Lewis Kofford was considering retirement and initiated the buyout discussions. In recent years Deseret Book had acquired other major competitors, including Bookcraft
, Excel Entertainment Group
, and LDS Living magazine.
This created a chain of 69 stores, although they would continue as two independent, coexisting companies, and retain their existing stores, employees, and market specialties. The retailers were already successfully filling two different niches in the LDS market, and rather than transform into Deseret Book, Seagull would act as its discount chain. Seagull Book has continued to operate as an independent entity to Deseret Book retail stores.
Following the merger, independent publisher Kent Larsen published his concerns, saying that when Deseret Book has previously acquired its largest competitors (such as Bookcraft
in 1999), the LDS market shrank resulting in fewer publications and leading to downsizing.
, generally of recorded sermons and lectures of popular LDS speakers. Many of these products were produced by Covenant Recordings, or Covenant Communications, for which owner Lewis Kofford also founded Seagull as a retail outlet. When Seagull was sold to Deseret Book in 2006, the store's name was shortened to "Seagull Book". By this time audio tape products had been largely replaced by Compact Discs (CDs).
The seagull is a symbol in Mormon culture from the miracle of the gulls
, where early pioneers were saved from a plague of crickets. The bird is also honored as the Utah state bird and in the LDS Church's Seagull Monument
in Salt Lake City.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
retail chain
Chain store
Chain stores are retail outlets that share a brand and central management, and usually have standardized business methods and practices. These characteristics also apply to chain restaurants and some service-oriented chain businesses. In retail, dining and many service categories, chain businesses...
bookstore focusing on products for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), with over two dozen stores in Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
, Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, and California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. It was the second largest LDS bookstore until being acquired in 2006 by market-leader Deseret Book
Deseret Book
Deseret Book is the largest Latter-day Saint book publisher and also owns a chain of LDS bookstores in the western United States. Over 150 people work in its Salt Lake City headquarters...
, and since then Seagull has continued to operate as a discount chain distinct from Deseret Book's retail stores.
Founding
Seagull Book & Tape was founded in 1987 by V. Lewis KoffordV. Lewis Kofford
V. Lewis Kofford is a former Mormon media executive who founded Covenant Communications and Seagull Book & Tape and was President and CEO when he sold them to Deseret Book in 2006....
, the owner of LDS publisher Covenant Communications. He had organized Covenant in 1984, which absorbed Covenant Recordings, an LDS audio tape producer which Kofford had owned since 1977. He intended Seagull to be a distribution channel for Covenant and other independent LDS publishers, and to fill a discount retail niche in the LDS market, by keeping low overhead and purchasing in volume. Headquartered in American Fork, Utah
American Fork, Utah
American Fork is a city in Utah County, Utah, United States, at the foot of Mount Timpanogos in the Wasatch Range, north of Utah Lake. It is part of the Provo–Orem, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 26,263 at the 2010 census, nearly a 20% growth since the 2000 census...
, the bookstore was initially a division of Covenant Communications, and later its "sister company".
Seagull sold books, audio tapes, CDs, videos, and computer software. Some of its locations even bought and sold used and rare LDS books. In addition, the chain also sold traditional titles, such as self-improvement, fiction, children's books, cartoons and videos.
Though Deseret Book was the largest LDS retailer, it was also the largest LDS publisher, and so from its beginning Seagull sold Deseret Book products as a significant portion of its offerings. In the early 1990s LDS retailers, including Deseret Book, were rapidly expanding and the market had doubled since the 1970s. Seagull grew aggressively in its first few years and kept comparable offerings to Deseret Book.
The company was a Kofford family business. From 1990 to 1992, Lewis brought in his son Greg Kofford, an MIT graduate and Wall Street
Wall Street
Wall Street refers to the financial district of New York City, named after and centered on the eight-block-long street running from Broadway to South Street on the East River in Lower Manhattan. Over time, the term has become a metonym for the financial markets of the United States as a whole, or...
investor, as Seagull's president and CEO. Afterward, Lewis Kofford himself served as president and CEO. In the 2000s, Jon Kofford was vice president of Marketing and executive vice president.
Growth
Seagull Book's first store was a 6000 sqfoot retail space on Redwood Road in Salt Lake City. By 1990 it had grown to 8 locations. After expanding to 12 stores in 1991, including into CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, revenue increased dramatically, leading to plans for further expansion. By 1992 the company had nearly $4 million in annual sales, 35 employees, and 15 locations.
During the 1990s Seagull had a cooperative advertising program with independent publisher Bookcraft
Bookcraft
Bookcraft was a major publisher of books and products for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints .-History:In 1940, LDS Church President Heber J. Grant asked the church's Improvement Era magazine to compile his sermons into a book called Gospel Standards. Compiler G...
, but when Deseret Book bought out Bookcraft in 1999 Seagull began to worry that Deseret Book would give preferential treatment to its own retail stores. In that same year Seagull launched SeagullBook.com as an online bookstore.
During the 2000s Seagull continued "chipping away" at Deseret Book as its main competitor. By 2006, it operated 26 stores with between 200 and 300 employees.
Deseret Book conflict
In July 2006, Deseret Book publicly disputed how its products were promoted at Seagull bookstores. Deseret Book claimed Seagull wasn't properly honoring its merchandising programs or adequately utilizing promotional materials, which it requires of all its vendors. Deseret Book announced that its wholesale division would no longer sell to Seagull Book and it was not seeking negotiation before the decision would take effect at the end of the month.This announcement was "a complete surprise to Seagull management" who saw this as "a deliberate attack on its presence in the LDS market" and assumed "discount prices are the reason." Some worried this could crush Seagull's business, which was understood to rely on sales from Deseret Book products.
Attempting to negotiate their situation, Seagull Book consulted with a public relations company and scheduled a press conference. Within hours the conference was canceled when Deseret Book lifted their ban for one month to allow for talks with Seagull. As the companies explored the possibility of Deseret Book acquiring Seagull, the deadline was extended beyond August.
Acquisition
In December 2006, Deseret Book bought Seagull Book, as well as its sister company, Covenant Communications, another major Deseret Book competitor. Financial details were not publicly disclosed.At the age of 67, Lewis Kofford was considering retirement and initiated the buyout discussions. In recent years Deseret Book had acquired other major competitors, including Bookcraft
Bookcraft
Bookcraft was a major publisher of books and products for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints .-History:In 1940, LDS Church President Heber J. Grant asked the church's Improvement Era magazine to compile his sermons into a book called Gospel Standards. Compiler G...
, Excel Entertainment Group
Excel Entertainment Group
Excel Entertainment Group is a subsidiary of Deseret Book Co. best known for its distribution of many pieces of LDS cinema. Excel Entertainment Group's products deal thematically with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints including Forever Strong , Midway to Heaven , Saints and Soldiers...
, and LDS Living magazine.
This created a chain of 69 stores, although they would continue as two independent, coexisting companies, and retain their existing stores, employees, and market specialties. The retailers were already successfully filling two different niches in the LDS market, and rather than transform into Deseret Book, Seagull would act as its discount chain. Seagull Book has continued to operate as an independent entity to Deseret Book retail stores.
Following the merger, independent publisher Kent Larsen published his concerns, saying that when Deseret Book has previously acquired its largest competitors (such as Bookcraft
Bookcraft
Bookcraft was a major publisher of books and products for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints .-History:In 1940, LDS Church President Heber J. Grant asked the church's Improvement Era magazine to compile his sermons into a book called Gospel Standards. Compiler G...
in 1999), the LDS market shrank resulting in fewer publications and leading to downsizing.
Company name
The "Tape" in Seagull Book & Tape referred to the store's marketing of audio cassette tapesCompact Cassette
The Compact Cassette, often referred to as audio cassette, cassette tape, cassette, or simply tape, is a magnetic tape sound recording format. It was designed originally for dictation, but improvements in fidelity led the Compact Cassette to supplant the Stereo 8-track cartridge and reel-to-reel...
, generally of recorded sermons and lectures of popular LDS speakers. Many of these products were produced by Covenant Recordings, or Covenant Communications, for which owner Lewis Kofford also founded Seagull as a retail outlet. When Seagull was sold to Deseret Book in 2006, the store's name was shortened to "Seagull Book". By this time audio tape products had been largely replaced by Compact Discs (CDs).
The seagull is a symbol in Mormon culture from the miracle of the gulls
Miracle of the Gulls
The miracle of the gulls is often credited by Latter-day Saints for saving the Mormon pioneers' first harvest in Utah. According to Mormon folklore, seagulls miraculously saved the 1848 crops by eating thousands of insects that were devouring their fields.-Traditional story:After Brigham Young led...
, where early pioneers were saved from a plague of crickets. The bird is also honored as the Utah state bird and in the LDS Church's Seagull Monument
Seagull Monument
The Seagull Monument is a small monument situated immediately in front of the Salt Lake Assembly Hall on Temple Square, in Salt Lake City, Utah...
in Salt Lake City.
External links
- Seagull Book website
- Deseret Book corporate profile from Deseret Media Companies, the parent company
- Interviews on Mormon Stories in 2007 with Kent Larsen and Christopher Bigelow about the Seagull/Covenant acquisition