Percentage of shoppers who would discontinue shopping at a particular store if they believe the store is not clean, according to a study conducted by MARC Research: 18

Percentage of consumers who consider a clean shopping environment as extremely important: 46

Ranks of grocery stores, drugstores and department stores as the stores that could see the largest impact on sales if there is an unclean environment: 1, 2, 3

Source: MARC Research.

Rank of silver on the list of the most popular car colors globally -- capturing 20 percent in North America, 35 percent in Europe and 37 percent in Asia/Pacific Rim, according to data released by PPG Industries: 1

In North America, ranks of silver (20 percent), white (18 percent) and black (17) on the list: 1, 2, 3

Source: PPG Industries.

Percentage of women working in an office who claim to like or love their computer, with the average woman spending nearly triple the amount of time daily with her computer than with her significant other, according to a survey conducted by Harris Interactive for Wellgate for Women: 96

On the relationship side, percentage of female office workers who claim their significant other thinks they spend too much time with their computer: 10

Source: Harris Interactive.

Percentage of employees who would do something to impress their boss, according to a workplace survey by Randstad USA: 72

Percentage who would take on additional work or responsibilities to make an impression: 57

Percentage who would work overtime to create more job security: 47

Source: Randstad-USA.

Percentage of Americans who are taking out more cash advances on their credit cards than they did in the past, according to the results of a survey by Standard and Poor's about how American consumers use credit cards to manage personal debt: 10

Percentage of respondents who indicate they are "sometimes" (14 percent) or "always" (6 percent) unable to pay their credit card and/or loan balances each month: 20

Percentage who say they can only make the minimum payment required: 8

Source: Standard and Poor's ExecuComp.

Estimated percentage of the contracts that federal agencies were supposed to give to small businesses that actually were diverted to Fortune 500 firms, according to a recent story by The Washington Post: 40

In a sample review by The Washington Post of $13 billion in federal contracts that were reported as going to small businesses, value of the contracts that had actually been awarded to Fortune 500 firms such as Lockheed Martin, Dell Computer, L-3 Communications, SAIC, Northrop Grumman, General Dynamics and British Aerospace (BAE): $5 billion

Source: American Small Business League.

Percentage of college students who said their buying decisions are frequently influenced by discounts, according to a national survey by Campus Entertainment and the National Association for Campus Activities: 74

Percentage who are influenced by coupons: 48

Percentage who admit that their decisions are often influenced by recommendations from friends on social networks such as Facebook or MySpace: 40

Source: Campus Entertainment LLC.

Percentage of chief information officers (CIOs) who said rising workloads are the greatest source of stress for their teams, according to a survey developed by Robert Half Technology: 36

Percentage who cited the pace of new technology: 22

Percentage who said office politics: 18

Source: Robert Half Technology.

Estimated percentage of Americans who report their family has had problems paying medical bills in the past year, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation poll: 33

Percentage of the public who report that someone in their family is skipping pills, postponing or cutting back on medical care they needed in the past year due to the cost of care: 47

Source: Kaiser Family Foundation.

Percentage of working Americans who have been interrupted by a work-related phone call or e-mail while in the bathroom, according to a survey commissioned by Nokia: 53

Percentage who have been interrupted while on a date: 23

Percentage of working Americans who never turn off their mobile device: 59

Source: Nokia.

Idle Thought

"Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength." -- Eric Hoffer, philosopher and author (1902-1983)

(Readers can contact John MacIntyre at johnmacintyre(at)bwr.eastlink.ca.)

4520 Main St., Kansas City, Mo. 64111; (816) 932-6600

Estimated value of packaged goods coupons offered annually, according to research from the Promotion Marketing Association's Coupon Council: $350 billion

Average value per coupon: $1.25

Percentage of all coupons issued that appear in the Sunday newspaper free-standing inserts (FSI): 90

Source: Promotion Marketing Association.

Percentage of business travelers who are more apt to stay at a less-expensive hotel if it offers amenities like free wi-fi and/or continental breakfast, instead of a more luxurious hotel that does not offer these perks, according to a survey by Orbitz for Business and Business Traveler Magazine: 67

Percentage of those surveyed who say their company's per diem spending for meals has decreased in the past year: 17

Source: Orbitz.

Percentage of gays and lesbians who say they have faced some sort of discrimination in the workplace, according to a study by Out and Equal Workplace Advocates and Witeck-Combs Communications: 65

Percentage who have heard anti-gay comments on the job: 47

Percentage who say they remain closeted at work: 36

Source: Out and Equal Workplace Advocates.

Ranks of talking on their cell phones, driving too fast, tailgating, and eating or drinking while driving as the behaviors by other drivers that cause stress for commuters and can lead to road rage, according to a survey by AutoVantage: 1, 2, 3, 4

Percentage of commuters who admit to reacting to bad driving by honking their horn at the offending driver: 43

Percentage who curse at the other driver: 36

Percentage who make an obscene gesture: 9

Source: AutoVantage.

Percentage of all young Americans (18 to 34 years old) who are carrying medical debt, according to research conducted by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner for Qvisory 2008 Greenberg survey: 28

Percentage of all young people who have gone without health insurance at some point in the past five years, including 75 percent of those who are now carrying medical debt: 50-plus

Source: Qvisory.

Rank of keeping and maintaining current business and sources of revenue as the top priority for entrepreneurs, according to the American Express OPEN Small Business Monitor research conducted by Echo Research: 1

Percentage of entrepreneurs who find themselves reducing or accepting lower profit margins: 56

Source: American Express.

Percentage of physicians who have formed party and/or candidate preferences based upon the candidate's stand regarding key issues, according to a study from DoctorDirectory.com: 81.3

When asked how a universal health care system should be funded, percentage who thought it should be funded by the federal government: 10

Percentage who said they preferred some combination of state, federal, employer and individual contributions: 60

Source: DoctorDirectory.com .

Percentage of employers who recruit applicants for hard-to-fill positions only when the jobs become open, according to Aon Consulting's "2008 Benefits and Talent Survey": 52

Percentage of employers who recruit continuously: 33

Percentage of respondents who said that over the last two years, when their organizations were not successful in hiring their top recruits it was because these top candidates went elsewhere for pay they perceived as higher: 36

Percentage of respondents who said they did hire the majority of their top recruits: 32

Source: Aon Consulting.

Percentage of Americans who drink spirits that said they've had a bad experience when drinking tequila, according to a survey conducted by Agavero and Ipsos: 38

Percentage of those who said they don't drink tequila anymore because of it: 10

Approximate percentage of all spirit drinkers who said that they make an "I'm never drinking tequila again" face when they merely hear the word tequila: 16

Source: Agavero.

Average corporate health benefit expenditure per employee in 2009 (an increase of 6 percent over 2008 figures), according to the 2009 Towers Perrin Health Care Cost Survey: $9,660

Percentage increase in total health care costs since 2004: 33

Percentage increase in employee share during the same period: 42

Source: Towers Perrin.

Idle Thought

"No problem can stand the assault of sustained thinking." -- Voltaire

(Readers can contact John MacIntyre at johnmacintyre(at)bwr.eastlink.ca.)

4520 Main St., Kansas City, Mo. 64111; (816) 932-6600

Estimated value of packaged goods coupons offered annually, according to research from the Promotion Marketing Association's Coupon Council: $350 billion

Average value per coupon: $1.25

Percentage of all coupons issued that appear in the Sunday newspaper free-standing inserts (FSI): 90

Source: Promotion Marketing Association.

Percentage of business travelers who are more apt to stay at a less-expensive hotel if it offers amenities like free wi-fi and/or continental breakfast, instead of a more luxurious hotel that does not offer these perks, according to a survey by Orbitz for Business and Business Traveler Magazine: 67

Percentage of those surveyed who say their company's per diem spending for meals has decreased in the past year: 17

Source: Orbitz.

Percentage of gays and lesbians who say they have faced some sort of discrimination in the workplace, according to a study by Out and Equal Workplace Advocates and Witeck-Combs Communications: 65

Percentage who have heard anti-gay comments on the job: 47

Percentage who say they remain closeted at work: 36

Source: Out and Equal Workplace Advocates.

Ranks of talking on their cell phones, driving too fast, tailgating, and eating or drinking while driving as the behaviors by other drivers that cause stress for commuters and can lead to road rage, according to a survey by AutoVantage: 1, 2, 3, 4

Percentage of commuters who admit to reacting to bad driving by honking their horn at the offending driver: 43

Percentage who curse at the other driver: 36

Percentage who make an obscene gesture: 9

Source: AutoVantage.

Percentage of all young Americans (18 to 34 years old) who are carrying medical debt, according to research conducted by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner for Qvisory 2008 Greenberg survey: 28

Percentage of all young people who have gone without health insurance at some point in the past five years, including 75 percent of those who are now carrying medical debt: 50-plus

Source: Qvisory.

Rank of keeping and maintaining current business and sources of revenue as the top priority for entrepreneurs, according to the American Express OPEN Small Business Monitor research conducted by Echo Research: 1

Percentage of entrepreneurs who find themselves reducing or accepting lower profit margins: 56

Source: American Express.

Percentage of physicians who have formed party and/or candidate preferences based upon the candidate's stand regarding key issues, according to a study from DoctorDirectory.com: 81.3

When asked how a universal health care system should be funded, percentage who thought it should be funded by the federal government: 10

Percentage who said they preferred some combination of state, federal, employer and individual contributions: 60

Source: DoctorDirectory.com .

Percentage of employers who recruit applicants for hard-to-fill positions only when the jobs become open, according to Aon Consulting's "2008 Benefits and Talent Survey": 52

Percentage of employers who recruit continuously: 33

Percentage of respondents who said that over the last two years, when their organizations were not successful in hiring their top recruits it was because these top candidates went elsewhere for pay they perceived as higher: 36

Percentage of respondents who said they did hire the majority of their top recruits: 32

Source: Aon Consulting.

Percentage of Americans who drink spirits that said they've had a bad experience when drinking tequila, according to a survey conducted by Agavero and Ipsos: 38

Percentage of those who said they don't drink tequila anymore because of it: 10

Approximate percentage of all spirit drinkers who said that they make an "I'm never drinking tequila again" face when they merely hear the word tequila: 16

Source: Agavero.

Average corporate health benefit expenditure per employee in 2009 (an increase of 6 percent over 2008 figures), according to the 2009 Towers Perrin Health Care Cost Survey: $9,660

Percentage increase in total health care costs since 2004: 33

Percentage increase in employee share during the same period: 42

Source: Towers Perrin.

Idle Thought

"No problem can stand the assault of sustained thinking." -- Voltaire

(Readers can contact John MacIntyre at johnmacintyre(at)bwr.eastlink.ca.)

4520 Main St., Kansas City, Mo. 64111; (816) 932-6600