Salesmen knew that deep discounts could cement relationships with big customers or close a deal before the crucial end of the quarter.

ECONOMIST: Web sales

Marks, Managing Partner at High Rock Partners, he told me we are heading into a period, where there will be a big push for transactions to close before the end of the year especially since deal activity was muted during the first two quarters of 2010.

FORBES: M&A Activity Up; Private Equity Still Cautious

So it was a big deal when Michael Nutter, the city's mayor, decided in November to close 11 of them in an effort to cope with the city's fiscal woes.

ECONOMIST: Unhappiness is growing at the scale of cuts needed