By the late 1980s, a growing number of retailers had started changing the way they did business.
( ( By ( the ( late 1980s ) ) ) ( , ( ( ( a ( growing number ) ) ( of retailers ) ) ( ( had ( started ( changing ( ( the way ) ( they ( did business ) ) ) ) ) ) . ) ) ) )
(ROOT (S (PP (IN By) (NP (DT the) (JJ late) (NNS 1980s))) (, ,) (NP (NP (DT a) (VBG growing) (NN number)) (PP (IN of) (NP (NNS retailers)))) (VP (VBD had) (VP (VBN started) (S (VP (VBG changing) (NP (NP (DT the) (NN way)) (SBAR (S (NP (PRP they)) (VP (VBD did) (NP (NN business)))))))))) (. .)))
Retailers never changed their business practices in the late 1980s.
( Retailers ( never ( ( ( changed ( their ( business practices ) ) ) ( in ( the ( late 1980s ) ) ) ) . ) ) )
(ROOT (S (NP (NNS Retailers)) (ADVP (RB never)) (VP (VBD changed) (NP (PRP$ their) (NN business) (NNS practices)) (PP (IN in) (NP (DT the) (JJ late) (NNS 1980s)))) (. .)))