Know: ‘timing is everything.’

“A decade ago, the retailer was a chihuahua nipping at the
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manufacturer’s heels—a nuisance, yes, but only a minor irri-
tant; you fed it and it went away. Today it’s a pit bull and it
wants to rip your arms and legs off. You’d like to see it roll
over, but you’re too busy defending yourself to even try.”
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The only force taming giant retailers is the competition they
face from other giant retailers: Home Depot vs. Lowe’s; Sam’s vs.
Costco; Barnes & Noble vs. Borders; Office Max vs. Office Depot vs.
Staples; Circuit City vs. Best Buy.
Retail is detail. It is hard work. Cyril Magnin, an American mer-
chant, advised: “If you are over 40 years old, you don’t belong in
retailing.”
An old Chinese proverb adds this advice: “If you cannot