Budgets/Spending/Market Size

WASHINGTON - Congress is considering restoring food stamps to legal immigrants who stopped receiving benefits in the 1996 welfare overhaul, The Associated Press reported today.

SAO PAULO, Brazil - Brazil's largest retailer Companhia Brasileira de Distribuicao (CBD), popularly known as Grupo Pao de Acucar, today finalized negotiations to acquire 100 percent of supermarket chain Supermercados ABC, Reuters reported.

NEW YORK - Several major retailers released October store sales today. Discounters and other value-oriented merchants reported the best results.

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.

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 - The bottled water market is currently experiencing a period of pronounced growth that shows little sign of slowing, according to a report by MarketResearch.com.

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.

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.