41. Most retail is located in the town centre with a variety of independent stores , cafes and restaurants. 42. Shop Rite, another major competitor, includes groups of independent stores with no public financing and shallower pockets. 43. But the biggest weapon independent stores have is their ability to deliver high-quality customer service, said VanCleave. 44. He said the decline in independent stores has other causes, such as competition from online book services. 45. Glitzy national chains draw customers, but they also drive up rents and drive out smaller independent stores . 46. The independent stores have also requested an injunction to force the chains to change their business practices. 47. Not many independent stores can survive that. 48. One independent store that expects to do gangbusters is Classic Designs Fine Jewelers in the Glendale Galleria. 49. In Phoenix, where PetSmart opened in 1987, the number of small independent stores has shrunk, retailers say. 50. Independent stores are very important to us, and we have always developed programs for their unique situations.
