What Mardel does

Mardel Stores, Inc., doing business as Mardel Christian & Education, is a privately held specialty retailer of faith-based products founded in 1981 by Mart Green. The company is incorporated in Oklahoma and headquartered on the Hobby Lobby corporate campus in Oklahoma City, with operations spanning 41 brick-and-mortar retail stores across 11 states (Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, Louisiana, South Carolina, Nebraska, Virginia, and West Virginia) plus an owned e-commerce site (Mardel.com) that ships to 48 contiguous states, supported by iOS and Android mobile apps.

Mardel's product catalog is anchored in Bibles and Christian literature but extends across a broad assortment: Christian books, children's books and Bibles, gifts and home decor, faith-inspired jewelry, music and video, Christian-themed clothing, church supplies, seasonal/holiday merchandise, accessories (bags, wallets, totes), journals and stationery, education and homeschool curriculum, and gift cards. Value-added services include in-store name imprinting and lamination, a 90-day return policy, and promotional cadence featuring up to 90% off storewide clearance plus category discounts (children's books 40% off, t-shirts 30% off, school shop 40% off). Revenue is generated through one-time unit-level retail sales across both physical and digital channels; no subscription, SaaS, or contracted recurring revenue streams are present.

The company employs 800+ full-time staff across retail and corporate operations and serves three primary customer segments: individual Christian consumers, homeschool families and educators, and churches and ministry organizations. Its mission differentiator is a 10% pre-tax profit donation to Wycliffe Bible Translators for Bible printing and translation, which is structurally embedded in the brand identity. Marketing is multi-channel (weekly ads, email newsletter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest, Twitter/X, mobile app) and distribution is omnichannel (physical stores, e-commerce, phone orders).

Name

Mardel

Legal name

Mardel Stores, Inc.

Website

https://mardel.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Mardel is a privately held, faith-based specialty retailer operating 41 stores across 11 central US and East Coast states plus Mardel.com e-commerce, selling Bibles, Christian books, gifts, apparel, church supplies, and homeschool curriculum to individual Christian consumers, homeschool families, and churches, with 800+ employees and a 10% pre-tax profit donation to Wycliffe Bible Translators.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Christian Retail Stores

NAICS

Sporting Goods, Hobby, Musical Instrument, Book, and Miscellaneous Retailers (459), Office Supplies, Stationery, and Gift Retailers (4594), Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Retailers (45942)

SIC

Retail-Hobby, Toy & Game Shops (5945)

akta.pro primary industry

Religious & Spiritual Books Retail (CRALAAAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Humor, Gift & Specialty Format Books (Journals, Coloring, etc.) (MPAJAAAN)

Keywords

• Christian retail stores
• Faith-based products
• Bibles and books
• Homeschool curriculum supplies
• Church supplies

Headquarters

HQ city

Oklahoma City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Retail Product Sales: Revenue generated from selling Bibles, Christian books, gifts, decor, clothing, children's products, music and video, jewelry, accessories, seasonal items, church and office supplies, education materials, and homeschool curriculum through 41 retail stores and e-commerce website.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Mardel is a faith-based specialty retailer that sells Bibles, Christian books, gifts, decor, clothing, jewelry, music and video, children's products, church supplies, seasonal items, accessories, journals, homeschool curriculum, and educational materials through 41 retail stores across the central U.S. and East coast and through its Mardel.com e-commerce website. The company also offers in-store services such as name imprinting and lamination, plus gift cards.

Product overview

Mardel Christian & Education is a faith-based retail company operating as both an e-commerce platform (Mardel.com) and a chain of 41 physical retail stores across the central United States. The company offers a unified retail experience built around a diverse portfolio of products centered on Christian faith and education. The core product offerings include Bibles (various translations including KJV), Christian books, children's books and children's Bibles, The School Shop at Mardel (homeschool curriculum and school supplies), Gifts & Decor (wall decor, crosses, boxed cards), Jewelry, Music & Video (faith-based content), Clothing (apparel and t-shirts), Church Supplies, Seasonal Gifts, Accessories (bags, wallets), Journals and stationery, and Education materials. The company also provides value-added services including Gift Cards, Name Imprinting, and Lamination services. The product ecosystem is designed to serve the spiritual and intellectual needs of faith-based consumers, with a mission commitment to donate 10% of pre-tax profits to Wycliffe Bible Translators for Bible printing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• School Shop™ at Mardel®: School supplies and educational materials for children

Products and services

• Bibles Religious texts including various translations such as KJV Bibles and children's Bibles, sold to individual Christian consumers, churches, and gift buyers.
• Christian Books Wide selection of Christian books and literature for spiritual growth, education, and faith-based reading.
• Children's Books Children's literature including books and Bibles designed for young readers, currently promoted at 40% off.
• The School Shop at Mardel School supplies, teacher resources, and homeschool curriculum for educational purposes, targeted at homeschool families and Christian-school educators.
• Gifts & Decor Decorative items, wall decor, crosses, boxed cards, and gift products for the home.
• Jewelry Faith-inspired jewelry and accessories for individual consumers.
• Music & Video Faith-based music recordings and video content for individual Christian consumers.
• Clothing Christian-themed apparel including t-shirts, tops, and children's clothing, currently promoted at 30% off T-shirts.
• Church Supplies Supplies and materials for churches and religious organizations, including bulk and Sunday school materials.
• Seasonal Gifts Seasonal and holiday-themed products and decorations.
• Accessories Various accessories including wallets, purses, bags, and tote bags.
• Journals Journals and stationery products for personal writing and reflection.
• Education Materials Educational materials, classroom supplies, and teacher resources for homeschool families and educators.
• Gift Cards Gift cards redeemable for purchases at Mardel retail stores or online at Mardel.com.
• Name Imprinting Service Personalized name imprinting service applied to eligible products purchased in Mardel retail stores.
• Lamination Service In-store lamination service available at Mardel retail locations for customer-supplied items.

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Wycliffe Bible TranslatorscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMardel faithfully gives 10% of its net profits to help print Bibles translated by Wycliffe Bible Translators. Wycliffe Bible Translators is a ministry dedicated to translating the Bibles into the language of every people group around the world. This represents Mardel's core charitable mission and largest ongoing partnership, fulfilling the company's objective of providing Bibles to the world.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Amazon: Amazon is the dominant online retailer of books, gifts, apparel, and consumer goods, including a sizeable Christian books and Bibles catalog. It is a key broad incumbent that competes with Mardel on price, selection, and shipping speed across nearly every category Mardel carries.
• Books-A-Million: Books-A-Million is a U.S. bookstore chain operating hundreds of stores and an e-commerce site, with a religious books section and gift assortment. It is a broad incumbent comparable to Mardel on book and gift retailing, though without Mardel's faith-specialist positioning.
• Barnes & Noble: Barnes & Noble is a large U.S. book and gift retailer operating hundreds of physical stores plus a major e-commerce site. It competes with Mardel on the book and gift categories, though Barnes & Noble carries broader secular titles while Mardel specializes in Christian content.
• Hobby Lobby: Hobby Lobby is a national arts-and-crafts and home décor retailer founded by the Green family, sharing corporate campus and family ownership with Mardel. While not a direct competitor, it is the closest affiliate with overlapping gift, decor, and seasonal categories and provides operational/sourcing leverage to Mardel.

Direct peers

• Dayspring (Hallmark): Dayspring is the Christian-themed greeting card and gift brand of Hallmark, selling inspirational cards, journals, and gifts through wholesale and online channels. It directly overlaps with Mardel's boxed cards, journals, and gift categories for the same faith-based consumer.
• LifeWay Christian Resources: LifeWay is the publishing and retail arm of the Southern Baptist Convention, operating LifeWay.com and a network of Christian retail stores. It is the closest direct peer to Mardel, competing head-to-head in Bibles, Christian books, church supplies, and curriculum, with comparable mission-driven differentiation.
• Christianbook.com (CBD): Christianbook.com is a leading online-only retailer of Bibles, Christian books, church supplies, homeschool curriculum, and gifts. It competes with Mardel on the same core product categories, particularly in mail-order and e-commerce, and serves overlapping consumer and ministry customer segments.
• Adventist Book Center: Adventist Book Center is the retail arm of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, selling Bibles, Christian books, music, and church supplies through physical stores and online. It is a denomination-specific direct peer serving a similar faith-based consumer with overlapping product categories.

Others

• Family Christian Stores (legacy): Family Christian Stores was the largest U.S. Christian retail chain before closing in 2017. It is a relevant historical direct peer to Mardel and represents the most significant consolidation event in the Christian specialty retail space, illustrating the segment's structural pressures.

Emerging players

• Cracker Barrel Old Country Store: Cracker Barrel operates a chain of restaurants combined with retail stores selling gifts, home décor, toys, and seasonal items. While not faith-based, its gift-and-decor assortment, footprint strategy, and seasonal promotion cadence make it a useful adjacent peer for evaluating Mardel's gift and decor category economics.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Mardel_Inc
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@MardelTV
• Facebookfacebook.com/mardel
• Instagraminstagram.com/mardel_inc
• Pinterestpinterest.com/mardel_inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Mardel