 How understaffed are stores? Smaller retailers feel the holiday-shopping strain Large retailers have spent billions of dollars to woo workers. Smaller stores that can't do that expect staff shortages will lead to lost sales. They're asking shoppers to be patient. 'You'll get nothing out of this': Partisans with limited experience stumble through gaffe-prone 'audit' Experts dismissed the 'audit' as worthless. But it also helped the GOP and related interests rake in millions and keep the cause of Donald Trump alive. 