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BURLINGTON, MA-According to a market report by locally basedFinard & Co., the retail sector throughout EasternMassachusetts/Greater Boston showed significant strength for the12-month period extending from the start of Q4 2004 through the endof Q3 2005. As retailers entered or expanded their presence,"retail bankruptcies and store closings fell to their lowest levelssince 2000," says Bob Sheehan, the company's VP of research.

Among the more significant retail expansions are Lowe's;Hannaford Supermarkets--through its acquisition of VictorySupermarkets--and Bank of America through its Fleet acquisition.With 32 locations in Eastern Massachusetts, Home Depot continues todominate in the home improvement retail sector, but, according tothe report, Lowe's is beginning to close the gap. Home Depot's areastore count remained the same while Lowe's added six units, takingits total in the area to 13.