How does your store stack up? A customer survey can pay off in the long run.(Marketing)

American Coin-Op, August, 2004 by Schilling, Roger

Wal-Mart! When hearing that name, most people think of the lowest prices, pleasant customer greeters and, more recently, a pillar of the communities in which the corporate giant is located.

Mention Home Depot and up pops an image of a modern-day handyman putting the finishing touches on his top-to-bottom tiled kitchen. Naturally he had been using products, supplies and the professional knowledge found in Home Depot's hallowed halls of hardware.

The Sears, Roebuck and Co., has long been known for its encyclopedia-like catalog and awe-inspiring "Wish Book," a Christmas ...