For years, retailers could afford to be sloppy about running their businesses because customers kept buying.
No more.
Stung by the worry that shoppers - who cut spending by the most dramatic amount in at least 39 years this the holiday season - may not start spending again for a long time, stores are making drastic changes. They are cutting out marginal suppliers, hiring outside experts to keep inventory lean, holding special events for those who are still buying and making extraordinary efforts to gauge customer satisfaction.
