A turbulent economy punctuated by rising food and gas prices sets the tone for insights revealed in ’s 64th annual Consumer Expenditures Study. Supermarket sales reached $444 billion in 2010, which represents a near $7 billion gain from 2009’s $437 billion total.The flat 1.6 percent comparative growth tabbed in this year’s report indicates a modest glimmer of positive news for food retailers versus the identical comp sum tabbed in last year’s study, which marked the first time in five years that supermarkets failed to exceed the sum of the previous year.