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MILWAUKEE - Customer satisfaction with the quality of goods and services available to American consumers in the retail, finance and e-commerce sectors rose during the final quarter of 2001, offsetting a drop that began in late 2000, according to the latest American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI).

WASHINGTON - A florist research group says husbands are likeliest to buy their Valentine's Day flowers at the supermarket, primarily because they are likely to cost less there, The Associated Press reports.

NEW YORK - In the first few weeks of 2002, health- and comfort-related items, such as diet products, exercise equipment and board games, experienced a surge in sales at Wal-Mart, Reuters reports.

PORTSMOUTH, N.H. - A father who brought $3.13 in change to buy milk, three jars of baby food and a newspaper at a Market Basket store in Portsmouth, N.H., was turned away by a cashier because of anthrax fears, The Associated Press reports.

LOS ANGELES - Smart & Final Inc., operators of warehouse-style stores and two foodservice distribution companies, on Monday reported earnings of $0.18 per diluted share for the 16-week third quarter ended Oct. 7, 2001, compared to earnings of $0.14 per diluted share in the third quarter of the prior year, an increase of 29% in per share results.

NEW YORK, Nov. 5 - The September 11 terrorist attacks have resulted in a number of changes in the life of the average American, according to a new poll. People are planning to scale back their holiday spending, reaching for more snack foods, and booking more quality time with family.

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.

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.