Retail is a blood sport, period. Never mind the concept of “friendly competition”; the battle for the consumers’ business is a Win/Lose equation. In the retail space, platitudes, like “everybody plays, everybody wins” could not be further from the truth. In the retail business there are winners and losers. Retail sales are a “Zero-Sum” equation; sales that you win are yours and not to be shared with your competition.
Like the Gladiators, the goal is to snuff out the competition by dominating your market. Are you feeling the sharp edge of the blade, or wielding the sword?
The Competitor's Code 