According to the Nilson Report, debit card purchases are expected to climb 13 percent in 2008, to $1.2 trillion, while credit card transactions are expected to rise only 3 percent, to $1.9 trillion.

What that means — at least in my layperson's analysis — is that just maybe, American consumers are finally learning to pay for things with funds they actually have on hand. Of course, $1.9 trillion in credit card transactions is still a mind-boggling figure. But at least maybe we're headed in the right direction. This Business Week story offers a great analysis of the situation and what it means for companies that issue credit cards.

I thought this was an interesting story about how supermarket chains are trying smaller store formats to appeal to shoppers. This is particularly noteworthy, I think, because it goes against the idea of the one-stop-shopping megamarket that we've all become accustomed to over the last decade or so. Even Wal-Mart is trying out smaller stores. Take a read if you have a few minutes...

Each quarter, RealPeopleRatings.com compiles a list of the top companies for customer service.

Tops on the most recent list were Olive Garden, Papa Murphy's Take 'n' Bake Pizza, Speedway, Nordstrom, Stride Rite, Ace Hardware, Staples, Dick's Sporting Goods, Publix, Walgreens, Southwest Airlines, Credit Unions, Best Buy and Marriott.

Click "Read More" to see the whole list. 

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There was an interesting AP story this week about how retailers are flooding shoppers with e-mails promoting sales and special deals. Since this is my bread and butter, I really don't mind. But I have definitely noticed the uptick. I keep a separate e-mail address just for notices from retailers. Last night I checked it and cleared it out. This morning at 8:30 a.m. I had 16 messages! How do you feel about this? Do you say, the more promotions the better, or do you say enough is enough? 

I was fascinated by this story from the Austin Business Journal, which detailed the results of a study performed by Opinion Research Corp. of Princeton, N.J. for Minnesota-based Hormel Foods Corp.

The study found that 58 percent of people polled said they have had to cut back the amount of food they buy because of food prices going up. And, almost one in five said they've had to choose between food and gas. What about you? How are you shopping nowadays, and have you been forced to choose between food and gas?

I had to post this after reading about it on The Consumerist and The Fail Blog.

Check out this restaurant in Louisville and the way the owners tried to camouflage their health department rating of C.

Pretty sneaky... 

Take a read through this New York Times story about savvy shopper Vita Ciullo. Vita lives in Connecticut, and it sounds like her store doesn't double (how sad!). But she employs all the right techniques of using coupons, matching them with sales and stockpiling when she finds a good deal.  Go Vita! And thanks to reader Sarah for sending me the link!

Thanks to my friends over at The Consumerist for pointing out a new survey about coupon users.

The researchers had people watch someone else use coupons at a store and then asked them questions about the coupon user. The study showed that people see coupon users as being less cheap if they know the person, if the coupon is of a high value or if the coupon user is a hottie. Oh well...  two out of three isn't bad, right?

I'm one of those people who never carries cash. In fact, a co-worker recently asked me if he could borrow a dollar, and I didn't have one to lend him. But apparently, I'm not alone. Convenience Store News reports that 63 percent of transactions are now made electronically. That seems like quite a lot since I remember the days when everyone at the food store paid either cash or check. And I am not that old...

We may think of Starbucks for coffee, but some people are thinking of the chain for oatmeal now.

The company's new oatmeal product, which was introduced as part of its new line of food items, has become the chains top-selling food item. It comes with the choice of nuts, dried fruit and brown sugar for toppings. The oatmeal retails for $2.50, but customers seem to be loving it. To read more about this unlikely trend, check out this story in AdAge.