The initial quake registered at magnitude 7 on the Richter Scale and was followed by several other shocks, including one that measures 5.9.

VOA: standard.2010.01.12

"And because small retailers don't have economies of scale to be able to order a lot of merchandise at once, they are not able to negotiate the best prices or offer the best deals to their shoppers."

VOA: standard.2009.12.20