The exact difference was small - a matter of only 1.6 ads per store - but statistically significant, according to the study.

Year over year, the company's sales per store have actually declined in all but 9 of the last 28 months.

Annual sales are about $500,000 a year per store.

According to the report, sales per store in 1987 dollars grew at a rate of 3 percent a year between 1948 and 1977.

Instead, the restaurants added 2.5 workers per store, on average.

Last year, it had a smashing $19.5 million in sales per store, with margins of 2.5 percent.

But we rack up the best volume there, about $125 million per store.

Sales per store jumped from $539,000 in 1984 to about $579,000 by 1987.

The minimum purchase usually is 50 marks (about $35) per store.

Revenue per store increased 41 percent in the first quarter, to $8.3 million.