11.   And over time, consumers have become more comfortable with the idea of using credit cards on line, he says.

12.   As the economy slowed over the last year, many consumers became more value conscious and shifted some spending from full-price department stores to discounters.

13.   As U.S. consumers have become more interested in energy conservation, manufacturers have taken a fresh look at front-loading machines.

14.   Berry said investors could be disappointed that the bank is acknowledging how competitive consumer banking has become.

15.   A University of Michigan survey released today suggests that consumers are becoming more cautious.

16.   A University of Michigan survey released today, however, took an opposite stance, saying that consumers became more upbeat this month.

17.   But after the government issued its report on inflation and other data on industrial output and inventories, word came in midmorning that consumers might have become unduly optimistic.

18.   But the merchants continued to face drastically different conditions from the boom times of years past as the economy slowed and consumers became more cautious.

19.   Californians conserved energy at a lower rate last month compared with previous months, making state officials worry that consumers are becoming complacent about the power crisis.

20.   Consumers are becoming more familiar with computer components and want easy access to the internal circuitry for upgrades and repair.