Research Topic

WASHINGTON - The government reported today that consumer inflation rose 0.2 percent in January, lifted by the largest increase in gasoline prices in four months and higher prices for fruits and vegetables, The Associated Press reports.

WASHINGTON - A new report conducted for the Institute of Food Technologists suggests America's food supply will be threatened by dangerous bacteria for a long time as new germs arrive in imported products and microbes already here develop in new forms, The Associated Press reports.

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).

SHERMAN OAKS, Calif. - More than 600 million people worldwide will have access to the Web by the end of this year, and they will spend more than $1 trillion shopping online, according to a new study cited by the E-Commerce Times.

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.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. - The U.S. convenience store industry grew 4.0 percent in 2001, increasing to a record 124,516 stores, according to the new NACS/Trade Dimensions Official Industry Store Count 2001.

CHICAGO - Susan D. Wellington, head of Gatorade's U.S. operations, is leaving just six months after PepsiCo Inc. acquired the brand's owner, Quaker Oats Co., the Chicago Tribune reports.

NEW YORK - U.S. discount chains, led by Wal-Mart Stores Inc., boosted January retail sales above year-earlier levels, Reuters reports.