One day this year during the peak growing season, vendors at the fledgling Main St. Farmer's Market saw as many as 500 customers in the two hours it was open.

As the holidays approach, more people are choosing to pile into the car and drive to their Thanksgiving destination and avoid flying altogether, experts said.

Snap Kids, a boutique kids apparel company, has signed a five-year lease for 974 square feet of space at Warehouse Row.

The Chattanooga Convention Center reported its second consecutive month of growth following two months of shrinking revenue.

Q: Is there a federal government cash rebate for the purchase of new appliances?

In this time of significant business challenges and given the fact that customers are the lifeblood for every business, is there such thing as a "bad customer?"

These are the real estate transfers for the period Sept. 1-6. Information is prepared by John Dixon Auctioneers. Any questions may be addressed to John Vass Jr. at Times Free Press at 757-6322.

This past summer, the Federal Communications Commission asked Americans to weigh in on whether consumers are informed enough to make decisions about their cell phone service. Statistically, eight out of 10 people overpay their cell phone bills -- to the tune of $800 million dollars total so far this year.

Now that ghosties and goulies have disappeared for another year, it’s time for holiday gift-buying. When in doubt about paying with plastic — or just the best plastic — BillShrink’s credit card solutions help consumers make the right choice.

As promised, this week's column begins the expanded versions of BillShrink's (www.billshrink.com) free offerings to consumers.