South Africa, March 25 -- Roman felt nostalgic for an era he had never lived in. A century ago, manufacturers had the upper hand in the management of the flow of goods. The newborn practice - at the time - of using brand names partnered with novel direct advertising to the buying public, made manufacturers the dominant link in the production/distribution chain. Not for long though: the balance of power swivelled when the retailers started thinking like entrepreneurs. They branded their own goods, what we refer to as private label (PL) or own label today, and even introduced their own products (on display at their in-store delicatessen). Fast forward one hundred years to today, and the top retailers manage their PL with speed (think digita...