"Mom and pops, like any other enterprises, are viable only so long as they provide what the customer wants..."


                That's only true if you have anti-trust conditions in place. WalMart and other big-box stores routinely move into an area, sell everything at basement prices, and then after the Mom and Pops are driven out of business, they raise their prices.

                The other element of this is advertising creating a market where there normally wouldn't be one, but I suppose that just testifies to the stupidity of people.