Today we’d like to introduce you to Liam Mardis.
Hi Liam, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Our store, Catholic Gifts and Books, first opened about 19 years ago by a man who wanted to offer Catholic books, gifts, and supplies to the faithful in St. Louis County. That man operated the store for about two years before a local married couple agreed to take it over. Under their ownership, the store expanded from one retail space of about 1,400 square feet to a space of nearly 3,000 square feet. They faithfully owned and operated the store for approximately 16 years, before deciding it was time to retire. They initially tried to sell the store in the Fall of 2023, but did not get any bites. By the Spring of 2024, they announced that if nobody purchased the store, they would be closing their doors on May 31, 2024.
I, a 25 year old at the time, thought that if nobody else stepped up, I would. Sure enough, nobody did. I convinced my father to be my partner in crime and on June 1, 2024, we became the owners of Catholic Gifts and Books. Maintaining these kinds of local stores is important because, despite the convenience of Amazon and other online platforms, we are still human beings, body and soul, who desire community and physical stores with physical items that we can touch and see for ourselves before making the purchase.
Since taking over the store, we got a new P.O.S. system, updated our inventory system, launched a new website, began carrying new products, started a blog, have had book signings with local authors, partnered with local churches to provide their weekly supplies, and have gotten to know so many of our loyal customers. On June 1, 2024, our first day of ownership, a woman was in the store for quite some time; at one point she got a phone call and became a bit somber. A while later, she came up to the counter and announced that she had just gotten a call that a close friend had died; she expressed her gratitude for being at a religious store where she felt close to God at that time. We said a prayer for her and her friend, which hopefully brought some comfort. This was a wonderful example of the importance of community, and the role that a small local business can play in the life of a customer. We look forward to stewarding Catholic Gifts and Books into the future, and hope to continue playing an important role in the St. Louis County community.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The last year and a half of owning Catholic Gifts and Books has been full of ups and downs. Such is the life as small business owners, I suppose. Unfortunately, when we took over, the P.O.S. system was quite outdated, so outdated, in fact, that we could not redirect the store’s revenue into our own bank account. We developed a quick and cost effective, but temporary, solution, and essentially had two P.O.S. systems for a while: one to keep track of inventory, and the other to collect payment. It did the trick, but golly it sure was a headache. Then, one day, the old P.O.S. system officially died, and we finally had to purchase a new one. The new one is great, but it was an unexpected expense that came in our early days.
In the midst of our P.O.S. problems, we experienced a health setback in our family, thereby sidelining my dad, the store’s main purveyor. As a result, we had to cut back the store’s hours, limiting it from six days, to just three days a week. God is good, however, and my dad’s health gradually improved, and within a couple of months, it was business as usual.
One of the main challenges throughout this process has been that there are only 24 hours in a day. I have a busy, and sometimes all encompassing, day job, and work for the store on nights and weekends. There are so many things I would have liked to implement over the last year but have simply not had the time. The thought that I would love to be doing more, but can’t, is a tough pill to swallow.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Catholic Gifts and Books is a retail shop located in Chesterfield, Missouri that specializes, as the name suggests, in Catholic books, gifts, and various religious supplies, We are most proud of our book collection, which consists of everything from Bibles, Catechisms, 21st century authors, and books that were written over 2,000 years ago. With only a few minutes at our store, a customer can purchase all the books necessary to learn about Aristotle and Plato, the early development of Christianity with the early Church Fathers, the middle ages, the spread of Western civilization and Christendom, and enjoy relatively modern philosophers and writers such as G.K. Chesterton, C.S. Lewis, Pope Benedict XVI, Peter Kreeft, and many more. We are also proud of our collection of Mary statues, which many of our customers purchase to place outside in their gardens or on their porches. More than anything, though, we are proud of our customer service, our care for our customers, and our gift offerings which range from gifts for newborns, those approaching death, and every life stage in between.
Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
I really like Fr. Mike Schmitz’s Bible in a Year podcast and his Catechism in a Year podcast. These podcasts are a great way to learn more about the faith while going about one’s daily life. I also like listening to local Catholic radio (Covenant Network), and any other podcast that focuses on applying biblical and eternal truths to the modern world.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.catholicgiftsandbooks.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CatholicGiftsandBooks/
