In order to maintain their growth patterns they want these 20 to 25 percent growth patterns they have to acquire businesses. It's tough to steal people's business other than acquiring it and buying it. The supermarket industry is no different. There's going to continue to be acquisitions. You're going to see the jockeying around of the top six guys trying to buy different stores.
Folks here are suspicious of corporate intruders.
The merchants in the area also gave the cold shoulder to Seattle-based Starbucks when they moved into the district about 2 years ago. Concerns were raised over parking, and the idea that the owners were a corporation thousands of miles away didn't sit well with some, at least at first. Starbucks of course, came in recently and that is franchise, they don't have local autonomy to make decisions and it takes longer to get anything done. Starbucks has done a very nice job, they've been a welcome addition to the community, although at first I think we were all a little apprehensive. But they have a nice homey place, it's sizeable and it sort of fits into the general atmosphere for people here.