Retailers seem to half a limited life. They start, bloom and then they die. Whether it is Mongomery Ward, A&P, Sears Roebuck, or Woolworth, few manage to reinvent themselves. One of the few which has done this is the UK retailer Tesco, which started as small, crowded and scruffy inner city stores and has continued to evolve. This heritage has led them to be the most succcessful global retailer as they are not wedded to one format or way to do business. They have also allowed themselves to be customer driven and developed the most sophisticated data collection and analysis .