Crazy Days: Life Lessons, Wacky Times and Good Friends in Forty-Six Years of Retail

CRAZY DAYS:

LIFE LESSONS, WACKY TIMES AND GOOD FRIENDS

in 46 years in retail

by

Gerald Rivinius

SMASHWORDS EDITION

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PUBLISHED BY:

Gerald Rivinius

Copyright © 2011 by Gerald Rivinius

Smashwords Edition License Notes

This e-book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This e-book may not be re-sold, and it may be lent only by means set forth at Smashwords.com. If you would like to share this book with another person, please do so as outlined at Smashwords.com. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, it was not properly lent to you or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the author's work.

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CONTENTS

Acknowledgments

Author’s Note

Introduction

Stark Reality

Getting Started

National Chain

Assistant Manager

Transfer to Wisconsin

Store Manager

Loss Prevention

Outside-the-Store Activities

Marketing, Promotion and Sales

Mall Store

Transfer to Illinois

Montana

About the Author

Reader Praise

*****

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

To my wife and family for all the encouragement and support, including my sister Cleo for having a positive influence on my life.

To the entire retail work force, past and present, who have walked this path with me.

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AUTHOR’S NOTE

The stories in this book are true according to my recollection. Most of the names have been changed, and the locations are in the upper Midwest and Northwest.

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INTRODUCTION

FORTY-SIX YEARS in the retail drug industry resulted in worn-out knees from the hard tile floors, but the mental part was held intact with humor. The stories were plucked from my memory bank because of the laughs they provided or unique circumstances that could not be forgotten.

As I worked my way up from pharmacist to assistant manager to store manager, each position presented multiple challenges. The physical restraints of a smaller store or new policies and procedures were ongoing. Loss prevention issues were always present and not fun to deal with. Internal theft and shoplifting took up much of our time and patience. When I moved from one location to another, my appreciation for the job was constantly tested. I had likes and dislikes, but all in all I enjoyed the variety of tasks each day. It seemed that major adjustments involving store policy and procedures were almost nonexistent the first few years. As time progressed, major changes became second nature, and today we find ourselves overwhelmed with novel ideas and helpful shortcuts.

In the late ’60s and early ’70s, most communities had a Chamber of Commerce promotion called Crazy Days. After my first Crazy Days experience I looked forward to the following year. To be able to dress up a bit crazy, bargain with the customers, and receive a paycheck was more than I could ask. Today, the promotion is still in existence and used primarily to rid stores of leftover seasonal product as it was in the earlier years.

We used electric adding machines; the calculator and computer did not exist. Today, computer technology has changed retail, especially with increased efficiency, cost reductions and customer service.

The retail business that I knew allowed us to purchase almost anything that we could physically get in the store to sell: CB radios, commercial-size tools, and snow blowers to name a few.

The retail employee who has been working for any length of time will have experienced unusual and common predicaments. Each of us will process the end result differently. Some employees can handle critical situations and get a feeling of a job well done. Another employee may feel so uncomfortable that he or she will decide to find another job. Working in retail allows us to work with a broad range of individuals. Some are highly motivated, and hard work presents no obstacle. Others care less about the job and are waiting for another offer that better suits their interests. The better employees, if interested, eventually have an opportunity to try their hand as a supervisor or in various positions in management.

As I look back on a forty-six-year career in retail, I can say I thoroughly enjoyed the ride. Would I recommend it to our younger generation? I don’t know, but what the heck, give it a try.

Gerald Rivinius

Billings, Montana

November 2011

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STARK REALITY

IT WAS MY first week as a drug store manager in a quiet Iowa town. After five days on the job, I was in shock and disbelief.That first week in the Cedar Rapids Osco store changed my whole perception of retail and I’m quite certain had a profound effect on my retail career.

Not knowing what to expect on my first day was difficult. I had not been in this situation before. I was introduced to the store crew, and I acquainted myself with the store’s physical layout. My management team was first assistant Dave and second assistant Andy. Dave took his lunch break at 11:30, and as he was on his way to lunch he told me that he would be in the office, and while eating lunch he would watch through a one-way glass and catch a shoplifter. I didn’t pay much attention to his comments and continued with the daily workload and familiarizing myself with the store.

A half-hour later, I walked upstairs to the office and found Dave sitting at his desk with a shoplifter next to him. He called the police department and gave them the pertinent information. What a lucky coincidence to have this occur just as Dave said it would. The following day, Tuesday, at 11:30 again, Dave went to the office for lunch and told me where he was going. Again he made the comment that he would apprehend a shoplifter. I laughed this time when he said it but stopped laughing when he was filling out the paperwork and calling the police department for the second day in succession.

At first I thought that Dave was calling his friends to come in at 11:45 to pull a practical joke on the new manager. But when the police arrived at the store to fill out a crime report, I knew it was for real. The management team had a meeting and decided that Friday would be SHOPLIFTING DAY. We needed to focus on our problem to see just how serious it was.

On Friday morning the three of us came in much earlier than normal to finish all the regular tasks that needed to be done. When the store opened, our only concern was to make sure that all items leaving the store were paid for.It didn’t take long before we had the first offender in the office. We did the paperwork and called the police, and it was also their policy for us to deliver the evidence to the police department. Dave walked the stolen items over to the police department. While he was gone, Andy and I processed another, and Andy headed to the police department with the evidence. He met Dave on the bridge on his way back. Their destination was four or five blocks from the store. These encounters were so surreal that it was hard to comprehend what was happening.

When Dave returned to the store, I was filling out paperwork and getting the directions as to where the police department was because I was next in line to do the walk. During the day we apprehended thirteen perpetrators, and at this point I was fully aware that to make the store successful, changes had to be made. Most of the people apprehended were from other states and cities. We had a transient hotel fairly close to the store, and many of our problems arose from there.

What I didn’t know was that it was just the beginning!

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GETTING STARTED

WHEN I WAS a youngster, I had no thoughts of ever becoming a pharmacist, a store manager or even working in retail. A specific day was chosen for all of the juniors to come to class and tell the world what they would be doing someday. I didn’t have a clue what I wanted to do, and I felt the instructor was putting undue pressure on me. I had to make a decision by Thursday, and I had one more day to decide.

I came home from school and my older sister, a nurse at our hometown hospital, was visiting our parents. I told her my problem, and she asked if I liked chemistry in high school and I said, I do.

Then she asked, Why don’t you just go to pharmacy school?

I said, Okay, and that was the end of that. My homework was completed, and I have never regretted my decision.

My parents put me through pharmacy school. In return, I worked each and every summer for my dad and my uncle doing field work in a small farming community in southwest North Dakota. I also had the opportunity to coach girls’ softball, boys’ Little League and the American Legion baseball team. This type of work I enjoyed, and the summer went by quickly.

I ATTENDED PHARMACY SCHOOL at North Dakota State in Fargo. In 1960, the school extended the pharmacy program to five years rather than four. I was a lucky recipient of the new regulation. I remember spending many hours doing lab work, especially with so many required chemistry courses. The dress code for male pharmacists required a white shirt and tie, or a white laboratory jacket or white smock. No jeans were allowed. The standards were set, and they were followed or else!

I remember one of my courses was especially interesting, because the instructor would make a casual statement during his lecture and make me feel that it was mandatory for me to find the answer by the following day. Few classes inspired me to want to learn more than what the course offered. His method of teaching gave me the incentive to learn beyond what was required.

One Friday after our class adjourned, he asked me to stay a few minutes. He had noticed that I was growing a beard, and he asked if I was attempting to characterize myself. Apparently, he felt I wanted to draw attention to myself. I told him that I had a friend, another pharmacy student, whose hometown was Biwabik, Minnesota. I mentioned that the city was having a big celebration in the summer and all the men were growing beards. I thought it would be fun to attend the celebration with him, so I was growing the beard. He went on to explain how a beard would not be appropriate for a pharmacist or a college student planning to become a pharmacist. He also indicated that the beard would be off before I attended another one of his classes. I immediately went to my dorm room and fired up the Remington electric razor. It took some time to get the whole beard removed, but I eventually finished the job. I felt his suggestions were a little harsh, and on top of that I burned out the razor and had to buy a replacement.

Since I’m from the old school, I understand the white shirt and tie, and also the no-beard policy. I see the need to set a standard and then adhere to it. Many times we will witness standards being set, and on a weekly basis the rules will change depending upon who has to maintain the standard. I believe that pharmacy school was a good training tool not only for working in the pharmacy but also for working in management. A goal is easier to attain if rules are instituted and followed by everyone.

AFTER FIVE YEARS of pharmacy school my career started at an independent Rexall drug store in Bismarck, North Dakota.The store was quite small compared with what you see today, but our backdoor entrance was adjacent to a large clinic, which allowed a thriving prescription business. My boss, the owner, was a well-established businessman of the community and also an officer with the State Pharmaceutical Association.

I worked directly with Roger, another pharmacist. Roger was hired while he was working at a grain elevator, and apparently Roger wasn’t sure he wanted to work in a pharmacy even after his pharmacy schooling. It just happened that it was a great opportunity for Roger as well as the owner. Roger helped me learn the procedures needed for filling prescriptions and explained in detail each step. His knowledge and help were fantastic.

In those days, there were so many pediatric liquids dispensed, and many of the medications we purchased were in large gallon glass jugs. It amazed me how my boss and Roger would pick up the full gallon jug in one hand and pour the liquid into a small four- or six-ounce glass container held in the other hand and never spill a drop.

Physicians would come into the pharmacy at all times during the day seeking Roger’s knowledge on new drugs and treatments. This allowed me to meet the doctors, and I would feel like I knew them when they would phone in a prescription.

Every two to three months, we would prepare for a huge Rexall Drug Sale. This sale was very important to the profitability of the store. We sold cases of aspirin, vitamins, cosmetics, and all the health necessities needed by our customers.

I will never forget my third day on the job. The script business was a little slow, so I wandered out on the floor and picked up a sports magazine. My boss had a little talk with me, and I can assure you I never, ever got remotely close to the magazines again. I found out in those few seconds of dialogue that I was there to work, and not to educate myself on current sports stories. My boss eventually had me working out front when times were slow. He even used me