These developments have forced manufacturers to adopt flexible production systems to supply a greater variety of goods in smaller lots. And merchants have found that survival in this new age depends on their creative efforts to respond better to the needs of consumers. One effect of this change in climate has been to promote the streamlining and integration of the retail industry. Meanwhile, the leisure boom is still going strong, with more and more Japanese traveling and engaging in such sports as tennis, skiing, and golf, and this is supporting the rapid growth of related industries. Advances in computer and other technologies, the proliferation of service industries, and the increasing importance of information in the business world have all contributed to the rapid expansion of data services.
Telephone operators take orders for a mail-order house.