text: Was this written as a comedy?  Canadian Tire "survived" because independent hardware stores couldn't compete with CT ... when Walmart came in, they sold cheap packaged food and clothes -- hardly a competition for CT.   Target came in with a bad attitude and empty shelves.   CT has had to do nothing but avoid shooting itself in the butt to survive its putative competition!
  
  Safeway worked because often it was the only game in town or had better locations and hours than the competition.  Sotheby's messed up by coming in with a bad attitude and empty shelves and basically said to customers "we know better than you what you want" -- well, they were completely wrong about that idea.  
  
  Companies believe it's always price and selection and if that's all you offer then might as well buy at Amazon.  But look at things like preferred products, brands, sizes, freshness, convenience, including location and hours open, and customer service and maybe people come back. 
  
  Maybe.