(Cover Story: 50 years of Walmart, Target & KMart)

However, some argue the mass merchandisers have made the supermarket industry stronger.

• “The mass merchandisers have made the supermarket industry better by forcing them to look at themselves a little differently.”
• “They’ve obviously had an impact on Center Store.  We know that.  But they allowed the supermarket industry to recognize that our point of differentiation is the perimeter.”
• “Some would say that these guys are Darth Vaders because as they have moved on the food side they have attacked Center Store, but it also give us a chance to ask how can we use Center Store to differentiate ourselves.”