Have you ever wondered about the logic behind the layout of your local supermarket? For example, why do they always put the milk way in the back of the store? Supermarkets know that if you come in for a single-item purchase, you're more likely to pick up some stray stuff if you have to wander through to get to what you really want. But this logic has started backfiring on retailers. They're finding that consumers don't want to be manipulated in this way. Now the Kroger and Publix food chains are putting mini-convenience marts with gas pumps in their parking lots in front of the store to better serve customers. While they may not get as many impulse buys, they appeal to customers by saving them on time.

Likewise, The Wall Street Journal recently reported that customers who enter the huge Wal-Mart super-centers with a shopping list in hand can only find two-thirds of what they want. So now there's a push for new signage in Wal-Marts to clearly identify the sections of the store. Finally retail stores are going to make it easier to find what you want! On a related note, how long do you wait in line at the supermarket? People often say an average of 15 minutes, but the actual time in line is 4 minutes and 27 seconds, according to a recent study. Keeping that wait time as low as possible really benefits supermarkets. They know that customers will abandon their carts if they're waiting on a line for too long. Then stores will have to restock the shelves and freezers with goods that have been left sitting without refrigeration and may have spoiled. Clark likes to say that retailing is one of the purest forms of free enterprise we've got. If you aren't happy giving your business to one market, go to another one. The greatest power you have as a consumer is the power to walk away.