Actually, there are next-gen comparison shopping sites hitting the Net.

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Instead, antitrust agencies around the globe have fixated on helping middlemen comparison-shopping sites such as Nextag and PriceGrabber, most of whom charge retailers for listings.

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Tancer is even working with researchers at Stanford to explore a new consumer confidence estimate based on search terms like "gas prices" and visits to thrifty comparison-shopping sites, which have climbed in response to this year's economic pain.

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There are a number of more fashion-focused companies, including Polyvore, and shopping comparison sites like TheFind.

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Simply put, this just does not really fit the model of most shopping comparison sites.

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Sixteen state hospital associations operate Web sites that allow comparison shopping for such inpatient procedures as appendectomies, maternity stays and knee or hip replacements: Georgia, Iowa, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin.

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They see the internet as a baneful reality that has ended the high-end shopping experience and ushered in price comparison shopping (ouch), consumer review sites (eww), and gray market dealers (the horror).

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You can minimize the cost of things that eat away at your bottom line by registering for membership sites and rewards programs, applying discount codes, comparison shopping, and simply watching your spending.

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Careplane, a web browser plug-in, calculates emissions as you search supported travel sites such as Kayak and Orbitz, allowing for quick carbon comparison shopping.

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