By LOU HIRSH, The Press-Enterprise

As they scoped out dress-up possibilities at A&H Costume Rentals & Sales in Riverside, Calif., Derek and Madonna Martin said they've been doing more comparison shopping this year than in past seasons before plunking down cash for costumes and other Halloween goods.

Restaurant chains and food companies have lately hit on a popular price point to reach cash-strapped consumers: Free.
The newest national handout program is also for consumers, not corporations. New Jersey-headquartered Mars Snackfood US has rolled out what it calls the "Real Chocolate Relief Act."

Hundreds were lined up outside the store entrance in Palm Desert, Calif. for the grand opening of Golfsmith Xtreme, the first U.S. location under a new megastore banner of longtime Texas retailer Golfsmith International Holdings.

While economists and bargain-hunters focus on the state of national chain stores this holiday season, another retail segment -- part of what is often referred to as the "second-hand economy" -- is experiencing its own ups and downs.

The idea of serving hot towels with meals goes back 3,000 years in Asia. But when Eve Yen moved from Taiwan to the United States in the early 1990s, she noticed that the few mid-priced restaurants that had them usually offered up small, cold towelettes that were often too small or flimsy for the job.

An otherwise nondescript industrial plaza is actually ground zero for TapouT, a fast-growing commercial force in the self-described "InYaFace" counterculture world of mixed martial arts.

Jewelry retailers already hurting from a slumping economy are being hit from yet another direction. Soaring prices for the precious metals that go into jewelry, including gold and platinum, have pushed up prices at store counters.