Prospering during tough times. (includes related article)

Times are tough. No one can argue with that. The recession, which many predicted would be over by now, still lingers. The number of bankruptcy filings are rising at an almost unprecedented rate. Businesses from every industry continue to merge, downsize, and right size. Under these conditions, it is difficult enough just to survive, let alone succeed.

Jerry Thompson, founder of Southland Corporation, thought he had the answer for success: give the customers what they want, when they want it, and where they want it. Thompson followed through on this and for every three 7 Eleven stores that opened he closed two of them, because those two stores did not meet and ...