ASKED TO NAME, HONESTLY, what the big chains do better than independent stores, Brain Squad members mostly landed on the same handful of answers: advertising reach, financing and credit programs, and the sheer depth of inventory that comes with buying power. But a striking number of respondents used the question to make the opposite point — that chains don’t actually do much of anything better at all. I feel like independent stores are more inclined to keep the customer coming back again and again and less likely to push the hard ‘sell’ as much as big chains.” — Cole R., Bradenton, FL“The big chains have more creativity and timeliness in their seasonal point of sale marketing and case trim.” Independents have to earn trust and chains seem to have to lose it.