Popcorn and her Brain Reserve company have an impressive track record for predicting trends. She was first to see growth in home businesses, the bom in 4-wheel drives, and the failure of New Coke. 13 acres of comm. Here's a capsule summary of a case study on how a new Wal-Mart store has affected retail in the rural area with 35,000 people. The local hardware store admits sales oar down slightly, but says that loyal customers keep coming back for the personal service.
Many customers admit their loyalty is based on resenting the intrusion of the giant.
The only drug store in town lost business in the small applience, clothing and toys, but prescription and greeting cards sales are stable. Several supermarkets report sales drops in health, beauty aids and other general merchandise areas. Cut Cleaning Costs Office building cleaning costs can be reduced using a contract service rather than an in-house staff, reports the Building Owners and Managers Assn. Savings result from the contract's service's lower wages, taxes and advantage of buying supplies in large quantities for big discounts. It also has a section on recycling programs.