Declining retail sales and a difficult financial environment for denominational publishers are forcing Northwestern Publishing House (NPH) to eliminate nine full- and part-time staff positions effective Dec. 30. One of the positions is a called full-time editor, reducing the number of called workers at NPH to five.

In a memo to all employees, NPH President Jerry Loeffel said: "Decisions like this are never easy. We value the contributions these staff members have made to our organization over the years. All have been great employees with solid skills and a willingness to go the extra mile. While these layoffs are difficult, they are absolutely necessary for the well-being of Northwestern Publishing House."

For the first three months of the current fiscal year, sales at NPH—the official publisher for WELS—are down seven percent at its retail store in Milwaukee compared with the same time as last year and six percent behind budget projections. The drop in sales over the past several years is consistent with losses faced by other Christian retailers throughout the country.

Additional cost-saving measures include opening the store one hour later, at 10 a.m., Monday through Saturday. Ordering and subscription services will operate from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. instead of 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. These changes will take effect Jan. 1, 2010. Also, the NPH Board of Directors has concurred with management's recommendation to downsize its retail space. Those changes are anticipated sometime after the Christmas shopping season.