May 21, 2005
World Magazine: At first glance, the narrow store near the merry-go-round at Parkway Plaza could be any of a dozen Southern California mall-chain clones, the kind that hawk stud-belts and double-entendre T-shirts to skater-punks and posers: Back-alley brick walls, exposed-pipe ceilings, cutting-edge clothing lines, rock music throbbing from the rafters.
But the only double-entendres shoppers will find here are based on Scripture. The store is C28—short for Colossians 2:8—an overtly evangelical mall-based retail chain founded by Aurelio F. Barreto III, a California entrepreneur who made millions, found wealth bankrupt, considered suicide, got saved, then found he wanted to do something with his money besides lounge on exotic beaches sipping umbrella drinks.
Launched in 2001, C28 opens its sixth store this month in Palm Desert, Calif. Each store is aimed at fans of California board-sport couture: long shorts with legs like drainpipes, distressed outerwear, year-round logo-laden ski-caps, flip-flops, and jeans that might have been run over by trucks before being delivered by them.
But customers will not find at C28 any prototypical SoCal sales-dudes, tanned and ironic, biding shift time until they can hit the beach. Instead, they will find people like store manager Robert Villegas, 27, an Oceanside, Calif., youth pastor who may be the Energizer Bunny of a new kind of retail evangelism.
Retail evangelism [World Magazine]
By Marcel Sim @ 3:25 PM | Retail | Comments (0) | Article Link
There are 0 responses to "C28 Evangelists".
Add your own comments
Business opportunity from the US Market Leader in Disc Protection. Recently we told you about the unique Disc protection product D_Skin. The product is great and in fact our only gripe was where to buy it outside America. Well the guys from D_Skin have listened - and are now looking for Distributors worldwide. So what are you waiting for? Contact them and be part of the D_Skin success worldwide! www.D-Skin.com
Click Here for More Information
Free Business Ideas Newsletter
Ever wanted to be the CEO of your very own Starbucks or Amazon.com? Fire your boss and be your own boss? Now you can, with BIZNESS! - the free biweekly business newsletter about new business ideas, opportunities and innovations from around the world. More than just new business trends, BIZNESS! helps the aspiring entrepreneur (you!) with small business advice, business tips, and entrepreneur resources and opportunities.
Subscribe for free now! 
Vat Registered Companies Can Claim Vat Three Years Before Vat Registration » When a business registers for vat the vat rate should be added to all sales from the date of registration. The standard...
How To Find A Franchise » Article Contributed by Ray Haiber As a franchise sales consultant I am often asked what is the best way to start the...
How to Convert More Website Traffic into More Customers & Sales by Inviting Prospects to Take Action » Article Contributed By Adam Hommey As an internet marketer and a webmaster for internet marketers, I get frustrated when I visit a...
How to Get More Referrals, More Prospects & More New Clients During a Recession » Article contributed by Joanne Black It's hard enough to get more prospects and new clients during a booming economy when people have...
Aspire to be an entrepreneur? Need more small business tips, resources and ideas? Visit GetEntrepreneurial.com now!
