But that’s not true any more. Two of Westfield’s big shopping centres – Miranda Fair in southern Sydney and Fountain Gate out beyond Dandenong in Eastern Melbourne – are housing Koorong pop-up stores.

Last weekend saw the first test for this new concept – and sales results were positive, says David Foster, Chief Retail Officer for Bible Society Australia which owns the Koorong bookselling chain.

“Word of mouth is working, as people in churches chat and the word gets out,” Foster says.

Bibles at a Koorong pop-up store.

The Westfield pop-up stores feature a good range of Bibles, and a selection of Koorong’s best sellers. They also provide a sneak peak of the branding refresh for Koorong. “It’s part of Koorong’s re-invention with a great new look,” explains Bible Society CEO Grant Thomson.

“It was absolutely inspiring to see our team there, people checking out Bibles in the middle of the shopping mall.”

The pop-ups allow Koorong to test out locations where they have no physical presence, and to build awareness of their brand.

The fully portable pop-up stores can also be taken to conferences, churches and schools.