Great Britain has epitomized distribution through specialty$-$type middlemen, distributors, wholesalers, and retailers. In recent years, however, there has been a trend toward broader lines, conglomerate merchandising, and mass marketing. This suggests that a firm that neglects the growth of self$-$service, scrambled merchandising, or discounting may find that it has lost large segments of its market only because its channels no longer reflect the $\_\_\_\_\_$ of the market.