Free Republic

Payless Shoesource pranked VIP shoppers into paying markups of up to 1,800 percent for the bargain retailer's shoes as part of a viral advertising campaign designed to shift consumers' perceptions of the brand. Creating a fake luxury brand — Palessi — Payless built a temporary store and filled it with fashionistas. So-called fashion influencers – essentially trendsetters that regular consumers look to for style cues — paid up to $645 for footwear that usually retails for between $19.99 and $39.99, the company said. The fashion insiders were captured remarking on the quality of the shoes' design and fabrication – before...

Klatch Coffee Roasters has procured 10 pounds of the exclusive Elida Natural Geisha coffee to split among its Southern California stores. At $1,200 a pound after roasting, each hot cup will cost a cool $75. The unroasted coffee is imported from Panama and set a world record price of $803 per pound at the Best of Panama coffee competition. It’s available only from Klatch Coffee in North America. The coffee company says Geisha is a rare variety of Arabica coffee that came to Panama from a research lab in Costa Rica, with origins in Ethiopia. It’s known for its floral,...