Consultants say that low-priced items, like burgers, make it difficult to justify delivery expenses.

This was seen by the user community as a ploy to minimize the number of free and low-priced items on the site.

"Sometimes the economy is down, and my business goes up, because I'm selling a low-priced item," he said.

But no company has been able to create for very low-priced items an effective online payment system that is worth the time and bother.

With the slumbering economy ignoring official wake-up calls, demand nowadays is for low-priced items.

Store executives now hope that buyers will buy several low-priced items, but that their cumulative bills will be higher.

The bank does not force the beggars to give up begging but tries to get them selling low-priced items.

Home television shopping, for instance, which peddles primarily low-priced items, is expected to move into higher-ticket goods.

Such low-priced items are known among retailers as "loss leaders."

The idea of an entire store devoted to such low-priced items was unprecedented, anywhere.