Until Monday, it appeared that economic pressure, as well as pressure from the authorities, could have forced merchants to consider opening shop.

By the spring, "commercial credit had dried up, forcing already debt-ridden merchants of the West to curtail new purchases of inventory."

Many shoppers held off until just before Christmas, forcing merchants to cut prices.

"Target and the Atlantic Terminal will force merchants on Fulton Street to upgrade to compete for shoppers," he said.

During the Duvalier dictatorship, thugs used to break strikes by forcing merchants to open their shops.

Capone retaliates by knocking off Weiss and forcing merchants throughout the city to pay for "protection."

In the ramshackle market across the street, poverty has forced savvy merchants to sell cups of cooking oil in Baggies.

According to a shopkeeper, they went through the market forcing merchants at gunpoint to hand over money and gold.

From this castle he forced merchants that travelled per ship from Tiel to England to pay toll.

Meanwhile, pretty much the same merchandise was readily available in a variety of stores across the country, forcing merchants to differentiate themselves with price tags.