John Challenger Forced Quotations

Retailers are being forced to turn into discounters at all levels, and that early transformation to a discounting posture is putting great pressure on profits. Retailers make a good percentage of their profitability in the last two months of the year. This year those earnings are going to be under real pressure. They'll be fighting to keep costs down.

We now see more and more of these Old Economy-New Economy hybrids cutting their online staffs, ... Companies that were hoping, if not expecting to eventually shift the lion's share of their business to the Internet may be forced to consider entirely new strategies for both short term and long term.

Those who fail to deliver will be asked to tender their resignation or risk being forced out in a shareholder revolt.

Higher health care and energy costs for employers and employees are definitely taking a toll. Companies are being forced to enact more cost-containment measures to protect profits,

The big question is how many workers will accept the terms. Too few and the company will be forced to fire workers; too many and the company could be forced to refuse some people's wishes to leave.