Still the fixed prices for books in Germany give smaller competitors a chance.

And indeed, many large companies are moving to take over a market created by smaller competitors.

This is the practice of dropping a products's price so low that smaller competitors cannot cover their costs and fail.

It would take years for a smaller competitor to build a competitive network and staff.

The company continued absorbing smaller competitors for the next 40 years.

By this time smaller competitors may well have grabbed that market niche.

Large fund companies stand to gain if smaller competitors can't make the investments required.

Critics argue that the practice is done temporarily to drive smaller competitors out of business.

The company continued to grow, acquiring more than 500 smaller competitors.

"It's going to be difficult for a small competitor to survive."