I'd be very surprised if their net margins haven't shrunk, comparing 50 or 100 years ago. If you're running a < 5% net profit margin, as most of these business

I'd be very surprised if their net margins haven't shrunk, comparing 50 or 100 years ago. If you're running a < 5% net profit margin, as most of these businesses are, then 1.5% inventory shrink (approx average) is a pretty big deal.