By the early 1990s the number of mom-and-pop supply shops in the U.S. had dropped by more than half, to 6, 000.

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Unable to compete with the purchasing power and supply chain prowess of national chains, the mom and pop shop seemed destined for the dust heap.

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Therefore, distribution must be delivered through a multi-layer supply chain that ends in thousands of mom-and-pop storefronts.

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