Bigger And Fewer : Number Of Retail Outlets Falls As Size Grows In Most Sectors.(Statistical Data Included)

American shoppers lost almost 1,400 retail outlets from 1998-'99, as the average outlet size continued to grow in most U.S. retail sectors, according to Audits & Surveys Worldwide's 1999 National Retail Census.

Highlights of the study include:

* The growing supply of late-model cars coming off lease has fueled the growth of the used car market.

* The number of restaurants that offer table service grew by more than 4,000 units in the past three years, as high employment levels and low interest rates encourage consumers to indulge themselves.

* As "mom and pop" stores form buying and advertising cooperatives to fend off the assault of the …