Are These Ideas Whose Time Has Come?

Goodwill Industries is trying something new

Goodwill Industries is trying something new. The store in Washington, D.C. has trunk shows several times a year. A selection of the store's higher-end donations is sold at a one-night sale held in a retail store. Selling a velvet-trimmed black coat for $9.98 isn't going to increase revenue dramatically, but it's hoped such bargains will attract new and younger customers, who will think of the store as a realistic fashion option. Considering the money raised by the nonprofit is used to provide job training for the disabled and disadvantaged, peace on earth, good will to men - and women.

RentTheRunway is an online business renting dresses for special occasions at approximately 80% off retail. A Proenza Schouler accordion dress selling for $1,165 rents for $200. A Badgley Mischka rents for $50. New styles are added regularly and older styles are sold for up to 65% off. The dresses are delivered the same day in New York City and overnight elsewhere in the U.S. Also, 2 sizes are sent to assure proper fit and the company provides the dry cleaning when the dresses are returned. For 600,000 members it's the 21st century version of Cinderella.

If today's Cinderella needed gold for her carriage, she could get it from a vending machine. A German company has installed these vending machines in Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Arab Emirates and Boca Raton, Florida; and there are plans to install hundreds more worldwide in 2011. Shoppers insert cash or credit cards and use a computer touch-screen to select the weight and style of gold. Each machine holds about 320 pieces of different-size coins and bars and is connected to the Internet to automatically refigure prices every 10 minutes reflecting market fluctuations. The 40 machines planned for upscale U.S. hotels and malls may provide "golden opportunities".

A group of Montana ranchers believe they had a golden opportunity - shipping an instant ranch to Russia. Cowboys, quarter horses and 1,434 purebred beef cattle, as well as a veterinarian and training in animal care, represented the Russian-subsidized deal to help make that country's industry self-sufficient -until 2010 Russia had only a half-million beef cattle. Although the landscape of the Voronezh region in southwestern Russia is similar to the grassy high plains of eastern Montana, Russians handle cattle differently. There are no fences, fewer cattle per cowboy - and much more direct government involvement. Well, that last part wasn't so surprising.

by: Knight Pierce Hirst

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