Studies in Life

3/12/2019

Last night, the 10th Monday night of this year, 10th straight Monday night I taught on things found in the book of Ephesians, marked the finish of the most precious section of Scripture written to us. It was wonderful to get to do that in the format of 1 hour per week. The first 3 chapters of Ephesians is so full of wonderful doctrines which shape today’s walk with the Lord, it isn’t possible in only 10 hours to fully teach it all. However, as I recapped last night, my thoughts were along the line of trying to go beyond chapter 3 (into the last 3 chapters of the book), and how I will need to make many referrals back to the doctrines we’ve just studied. At least, from my view point, it’ll be interesting.

SIMH this morning is an old John Denver song, “Country Roads, take me home, to the place I belong, West Virginia, mountain momma, take me home…” John was an interesting bright star of the 25 year (or so) era of variety shows on television. He was an okay host, an okay comedian, but a terrific musician. Barb and I took our sons to see him in concert at the Birmingham Civic Center in 1975. It was quite a show—1 man, in the round. He sang for about 2 1/2 hours without a serious break, using two or three different guitars, but he was the only performer. What an excellent singer he was. Like many bright stars, his was snuffed out in a moment: a plane crash which had him as the pilot of an experimental plane.

On the alkaline water side of my life, the 8th Blue Jug Alkaline Water and Health Market has now opened and we’re excited to be in league with these great people who own these stores. Of course, we believe more will open soon, perhaps as early as Summer, but whenever more new stores come our way, we know they’ll also have “water the way it’s meant be.”

In the 8 stores, the owners are a wide variation of peoples: we have one single man, one single woman, one large corporation, one man (though married) who partners with another in the store, and the same with one woman (though married), she runs the store, and 3 couples running stores. Interesting mix. We try not to dictate anything about that. If someone wants to invest and own a store, our purpose is to educate the product to the people who are going to be in the store, and to give as much understanding of retailing as we can.

Retailing as a concept has changed many times in my lifetime and yet what has stayed the same is people. The people who become loyal to a particular store have an interesting “take”on their loyalties: some have a singular product they will stay loyal to come in for because it serves them specifically well for a certain part of their life; some might be fiercely loyal to an owner due to having been served exceptionally well; some, loyal to a store only as long as their friend works there; others, loyal to a brand. And so it goes. Even a strong loyalty feeling can be hacked. 

Store owners truly appreciate the various loyalties which bring people coming in and sharing their spendable income. And good store owners constantly seek enhancements for its continuation and growth. Institutes of higher learning have made whole curricula out of studying the giants of retail; John Wanamaker, JC Penney, Sam Walton, and many, many more. From the mid-1800s to today, retail has survived dozens of adverse conditions, yet is continually growing and thriving. Restaurants (the most prolific) have the highest fail rate of all—60% fail within 2 years, and 60% of the rest will fail within 2 more years—about 85% failing by the fourth year. Most other retail categories have a better stability rate, but too many fail. The most common cause is under capitalization (not enough money.)

On that cheery note, I think I’ll go open the store! And work on that capitalization!

Thanks for reading, the Elder