Budgets/Spending/Market Size

Online Sales Expected to Suffer During Holiday Season
NEW YORK - Online retailing is expected to fare only about as well or as poorly as the retail economy as a whole during the Christmas season, The New York Times reported today. That stands in contrast to a steady growth since 1998, when online sales kept surging despite less favorable economic trends or even normal seasonal patterns.
Democrats Propose Food Safety Measures
WASHINGTON - Senate Democrats are asking for more than $700 million to hire hundreds of new inspectors and take other measures to protect farms and food from terrorist attack, the Associated Press reported on Thursday.

Consumer Spending Drops 1.8 Percent in September

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Commerce Department reported today that consumer spending dropped by 1.8 percent in September, following a modest 0.3 percent gain in August. This is the largest drop in more than 14 years, The Associated Press reported.
CVS to Close 200 Drugstores

NEW YORK - CVS Corp. today said it plans to cut staff and close about 200 of its drugstores in the first quarter. The news came with its report of a 16 percent drop in third-quarter earnings.
FMI Review: Food Retailers Achieve Highest Net Profits in Nearly 30 Years

WASHINGTON, DC - The supermarket industry posted its highest net profits in nearly three decades at 1.25 percent of sales, according to the Food Marketing Institute's 2000-2001 Annual Financial Review. Operating income, at 3.03 percent, was near the 10-year high of 3.05 percent.
Store Design Survey Shows Retailers Plan to Renovate

Retailers are continuing to spend money on store design even in these uncertain economic times, according to the results of the 12th Annual Store Fixture survey conducted by Display & Design Ideas (DDI) Magazine with cooperation from the National Association of Store Fixture Manufacturers (NASFM).
Britain's Safeway Reports Strong Second-quarter Sales

Britain's Safeway Plc reported strong second quarter sales on Thursday with like-for-like sales rising 5.4 percent, keeping the country's fourth biggest food retailer in the running among its top competitors.
ACNielsen Delivers First Information and Insights From New Wal-Mart Channel Service

Business Wire ACNielsen U.S. today announced its first delivery to clients of sales information and insights from its new Wal-Mart Channel Service.
Safeway Announces 2002 Capital Expenditure Plans

Safeway Inc. will hold a conference for analysts and institutional investors today to review its performance in the last year and its prospects for continued growth. The company is targeting five-year annual earnings per share growth of 13% - 15%.
Economic Weakness Seen Continuing

A major forecaster of future economic activity predicts the weakness will continue into 2002.

Online Sales Expected to Suffer During Holiday Season

Democrats Propose Food Safety Measures

Consumer Spending Drops 1.8 Percent in September

CVS to Close 200 Drugstores

FMI Review: Food Retailers Achieve Highest Net Profits in Nearly 30 Years

Store Design Survey Shows Retailers Plan to Renovate

Britain's Safeway Reports Strong Second-quarter Sales

ACNielsen Delivers First Information and Insights From New Wal-Mart Channel Service

Safeway Announces 2002 Capital Expenditure Plans

Economic Weakness Seen Continuing