An array of shoe-box-sized sidewalk kiosks are jammed with high-priced vodka, chocolates, used clothes, lipsticks - the stuff of a Muscovite consumer's salivations.

That phenomenon emerged about 20 years ago, when a sidewalk kiosk selling coconuts and drinks installed a diaper-changing station and a small playground in hopes of seeing business grow.

Mastercard International plans to use such a network for wireless credit-card verification terminals at county fairs or merchants' sidewalk kiosks.

That would have given opponents enough votes to block the ban, except that Greece decided to support the measure after it won permission for operators of sidewalk kiosks to keep cigarette advertisements.

Sahimah sells Islamic books, tapes and head scarves from her sidewalk kiosk here.

For example, the 21-inch Japanese television at Sam's for 1,358 pesos, or $453, sells for 1,300 pesos, or $433, at a sidewalk kiosk, but without a warranty.

There was last year's decree banning walk-up liquor sales at sidewalk kiosks, which promptly mutated into sidewalk stores with phone-booth-size sales rooms.

The protesters wrecked several sidewalk kiosks, ripped up metal fences and smashed a sign advertising a new McDonald's hamburger restaurant nearby.

The so-called mafia supplies and operates the myriad sidewalk kiosks and open-air markets that have mushroomed all over Moscow.

The unofficial rate is probably higher, labor experts say, but then so is the number of black-market jobs, many in sidewalk kiosks or wholesale markets, but also in the private-sector service economy.