The distinct stages a product goes through before it becomes obsolete. b. the process of growth and decline that retail outlets, like products, experience which consists of the early growth, accelerated development, maturity, and decline stages. c. the cycle of a customer's buying behavior from awareness of a product to its ultimate purchase. d. the relationship between the tangible aspects of a product and the types of services that need to accompany it. e. the traditional management changes that take place as a retail outlet grows.