Consumer Attitudes & Behavior

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

Supermarkets have slashed their fuel prices as a result of a worldwide plunge in oil prices in the wake of the terror attacks on the US.

U.S. businesses are more concerned about the impact that online security problems have on consumer confidence and trust in e-business, than about suffering an actual financial loss due to a security breach, according to a study released Wednesday by Internet measurement firm Jupiter Media Metrix.

The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California in Fresno found that the USDA acted arbitrarily and capriciously and exceeded its statutory authority when it decided in June 2000 to allow Argentine citrus into the United States, according to Pierre Tada, co-chair of the U.S. Citrus Science Council (USCSC).

The world's biggest retailer, Wal-Mart, is likely to shrug off the world's economic difficulties better than its competitors, according to analysts.

U.S. retailers are expected to experience the weakest holiday season since the recession of 1991, senior economists from the Retail Intelligence System (RIS) of PricewaterhouseCoopers forecast.

The terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon have caused consumers in the Northeast to forego eating in restaurants and return to supermarkets, increasing sales of home meal replacement items and comfort foods.

Retail giants Kmart Corp., Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Target Corp. are engaging in a price war prompted by the return of Kmart's famous BlueLight discount campaign. However, Wal-Mart and Target seem to be gaining market share on Kmart due to their retaliatory price cuts.