> "If firms abandon trying to differentiate themselves with good service, they are making themselves vulnerable to the sort of attack Britain’s mainstream supermarkets are now suffering from an invasion of German discounters."

Hasn't internet shopping shown that "good service" often does mean self service instead of obsequious staff? Businesses should be eager to get rid of their large staff of customer service drones and replace them with automated systems and a handful of well-paid human exception handlers.