Pharmacies are not the big purveyors of cigarettes they once were for reasons other than the anti-smoking movement.

At Franklin Resources, one of the biggest purveyors of municipal-bond funds, tax-free sales fell by 25 percent in Feburary, a spokesman said.

The birds were a hit with customers at Wanamaker's, and eventually Hartz Mountain became the country's biggest purveyor of pet supplies, including bird seed, goldfish flakes, dog chews and, of course, flea collars.

Here McDonald's, the world's biggest purveyor of beef, does not sell its iconic Big Mac or any other beef hamburger.

It is also a star among fast-food restaurants, being McDonald's largest restaurant in the world, its biggest purveyor of hamburgers (nearly 30,000 a day) and best staffed.

IN the 1960's, the company became known as Strombecker after it acquired Strombeck-Becker, a big purveyor of slot cars, toys that speed around an electrified track.

The bigger purveyors of pornography are looking to become involved, too.

The agricultural mother was also there, however, since measured by the WTO yardstick, the USA and Europe are indeed the biggest purveyors of farm support.

With technology breaking the lock on delivering information and entertainment, the big purveyors are covering their bets by purchasing everything in sight.