I'm sure that you've heard the phrase about change for change's sake - it doesn't always make things better, just different.

I got a video clip from a friend. It showed a race on the Tonight Show (with Jay Leno) between 2 guys using text messaging on their cell phones and 2 guys using Morse code. (I am trying to copy it here, but haven't had luck - yet! )

The result was that the guys using the 170 year old technology beat the guys using the cell phones! (and they did it quite handily!) (I had an uncle that was an avid ham radio operater who chatted with people all over the world using what he called "Morris" code - I am sure that he was cheering!)

Is the new always better than the old?

In many ways, of course it is!

But in others.....

In our stores, we sell time-proven products that help people maintain or improve their lifestyles. The benefits from basic products like Vitamin C, Valerian Root, etc. are hard to argue with - or to improve upon. The benefits of a diet consisting of pure food - rather than ones with a list of both additions and subtractions - also make sense. The old trumps the new!

In running our businesses, technology can add a lot of speed and efficiency to the process - benefiting both retailer and customer. Let's be sure, however, we leave in the old-fashioned ideals of providing service and value when we add the new-fangled technology!