Officials involved in the plan said they hoped the label would prompt manufacturers to improve products or invent new ones and inspire buyers to shop for the least wasteful ones.

Julia Coronado, chief United States economist with Barclays Capital, said buyers were still shopping in a market that was highly favorable to them.

If that were true, he said, "all buyers should shop FSBO."

Of course, buyers of entry-level sedans are not shopping for matinee idols.

Videos of the cattle taken on the farm means that buyers for the big meat companies can shop around from their offices.

Ten years ago, potential buyers with black marks in their credit history couldn't even shop at the dozen sprawling dealerships on Gallatin Road north of Nashville.

Selected eBay items were mirrored on eBay Express, where buyers shopped using a shopping cart to purchase from multiple sellers.

In the 1980's," Mr. Filandro said, "the Limited buyers shopped the world, knocked off what they could, got the cheapest price and were not concerned with quality.

Today, buyers can shop for cylinders like bologna - purchasing 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10 or more - to suit their driving needs.

And Target's buyers shop the European trade shows, giving some validity to wags' pronunciation of the store name - tar-ZHAY.