Sorry he's gone, sounds like a great guy, however...

He could simply have joined True Value or Servistar. He wouldn't have had
to change anything and could have gotten all the advantages.

In the my town there was a decrepit old store that didn't sell much of
anything; it was firmly anchored in the 19th century. A new store opened up
down the street and did pretty well. Needless to say, it was the last straw
for the old store.

But it proves there was plenty of business to be had. If the old store had
modernized it would still be there and the old store would never have been
built. And (this is the big one) the old store didn't have to give up it's
great service (if it had great service; I wouldn't know because I never
shopped there, though I do at the new store); all it had to do was offer
what people wanted at competitive prices; like the new one does.