Costco Cos

There are deep discounts available these days at Smart & Final Inc.--for the company's stock. As the chain of warehouse-style grocery stores struggles to turn itself around, Smart & Final's shares so far aren't recovering from a disastrous slide in mid-1998, when they plunged 60% to less than $10 as problems mounted. And since October, the stock has treaded water. It closed Friday at $11.81 a share, up 19 cents for the day, in New York Stock Exchange composite trading.

Just in time for Easter egg decorating, Vons is offering a dozen large eggs free with a $10 purchase. That's good news for consumers, but the fine print tells the real story: "Save up to $2.19," the Vons coupon reads. At a regular price of $2.09 to $2.19 a dozen at major Los Angeles-area chains, eggs are far from an everyday bargain. In fact, the price here is more than double the price typically charged outside California. A few years ago, the lofty Southland prices got the attention of Cash J.

One day during this holiday shopping season, a customer will walk into a Wal-Mart to buy a Barbie doll or a Hot Wheels car. And when the cash register rings, Toys R Us will tumble from its long-held position as the single largest retail customer of Mattel Inc., the world's largest toy manufacturer. The steady exodus of American children and their parents from Toys R Us stores over the last decade is just one chapter in a high-stakes toy story that has left the Paramus, N.J.