31.   All this has helped to prop up consumer demand, and retailers like Wal-Mart are reporting solid sales gains.

32.   Both Best Buy and Circuit City have recently reported sales gains.

33.   Both retailers had sales gains in higher-margin areas such as plumbing and electrical supplies, said Jack Seibald, an analyst at Blackford Securities.

34.   But across the industry, auto makers are now recognizing the potential for sales gains in markets they traditionally ignored.

35.   But most of all, he credits the sales gain to a skyrocketing demand for all-natural supplements by aging baby boomers concerned about their health.

36.   But Southern California will probably see some sales gains, she said.

37.   By keeping inventories low and carefully planning promotional sales, many of them have learned how to squeeze strong profits out of modest sales gains.

38.   Chrysler, which led Detroit automakers with sales gains amid booming truck sales last year, has seen a turnabout in its showrooms.

39.   Chrysler Corp., meantime, reported a smaller-than-expected sales gain for December.

40.   Computer City, which struggled last year, has posted same-store sales gains in the past couple months.