The benefits of customization are not always self-evident to consumers who seek to minimize decision costs or are generally uncertain of what they really want. We argue that the mere posting of a starting price can increase a consumer's readiness to appreciate customized goods. We discuss this...

Tim O'Shaughnessy, the 29-year-old CEO of LivingSocial, is growing a revolutionary worldwide business of "daily deals" - in which retailers offers a heavily-discounted product or service available for purchase for brief (often 24-hour) windows. The case explores the complicated sharing of risks...