Small Business Confidence Edges Up

There's good news for bev/al marketers buried in this month's Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index: consumers plan to spend more on eating and drinking outside the home. As for the Consumer Confidence Index overall, it dipped 0.7 points to 93.1 (1985=100) in

Some 64% of Americans say recent increases in gas prices have affected their household’s financial situation, with a large majority (83%) expecting gas prices to continue to rise in the next month, a new Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted May 8-11 finds. Economic stress is often cited as one

As if the French wine sector didn't have enough troubles, now there's this: The French Purchasing Managers Index fell to 43.5 from 47.5, its lowest level in 5-1/2 years. Manufacturing has also fallen, to 48.9 from 52.8. "These figures