Product life stories can be used to demonstrate sustainability—as in the case of Made-By, which we just recently covered—but they also simply make new products more interesting. Such authenticity-boosting status stories are at the heart of the Daily Grommet, a curated marketplace that highlights one such tale every day.

Currently in beta, Massachusetts-based Daily Grommet releases a profile of one new product each day at noon Eastern US time. Products chosen for inclusion on the site range from household products to kids' items to simple indulgences; most are from small, independent producers and are selected for their combination of craft, utility, invention and style. Many products are submitted by visitors to the site; others are discovered through team members' own research. On Tuesday of this week, for example, the product profiled was "Arghand hand-crafted soap pebbles from Afghanistan," complete with video, social and environmental context, and specific product details. Subscribers to the Daily Grommet can comment online about a particular day's profile as well as buying products online; widgets are also available for publishers, with revenue opportunities through shared sales or click-throughs.

Combining thoughtful curation, status stories and a pinch of planned scarcity, the Daily Grommet is attempting to go a step beyond Etsy and other online marketplaces with its up-close focus on product origins. Artists, craftsmen and manufacturers around the globe are no doubt lining up for consideration even as we speak; for all others, one to emulate with a niche or regional approach...? (Related: Upscale vending machine sells curated luxury goods — Top 3 choices for shoppers — Ranking Ranqueen — A deal a day.)

Website: www.dailygrommet.com
Contact: folks@dailygrommet.com

Clothes shopping may be a source of joy for many women, but the same is rarely true for men; in fact, many men would rather do just about anything else. With that in mind, the Trunk Club now offers men the services of a personal shopper from the convenience of their own office or home.

Based in Oregon, the Trunk Club assigns each of its clients a personal clothing expert to recommend, find and deliver clothing and accessories that complement their own personal style. Men begin by filling out an application for a free membership on the site. They then have a 15-minute or so introductory, webcam-enabled session from home or office with their personal shopper, who then sends out an initial shipment of name-brand clothes. Customers pay just retail price for the clothes they decide to keep—no minimum purchase is required—and the Trunk Club covers shipping both ways. After that clients can connect with their shopper as often as they want in person or via the company's Skype-based webcam platform—no visits to retail stores are ever required. The Trunk Club's personal shoppers work on commission, according to TechCrunch; the company's revenue derives from retail markups on clothes bought from partner manufacturers at wholesale prices, with no minimum inventory required.

The Trunk Club officially launched just two weeks ago, and it's currently looking for entrepreneurs who can work virtually on its behalf with members around the world. One to get in on early...?

Website: www.trunkclub.com
Contact: info@trunkclub.com

Spotted by: Chris Rollason

We recently covered a program at Oakland Mall that offers startups low-cost and short-term leasing to help them to set up shop. This summer, KiosKiosk will bring a similar idea to the streets of London by offering a small kiosk space to startups selling ceramics, art, fashion and other creative products. At no cost to its temporary tenants.

Creative organisations, businesses or individuals ready to trade simply send in their details and explain why they're a good candidate to fill the space. KiosKiosk's founders note that, although the number of people enrolling in design courses in the UK increases each year, it's difficult for creative businesses to find affordable retail space in locations with enough foot traffic to attract potential buyers. The initiative is backed by the London Sustainable Development Commission, working to promote creative independent shops instead of more dime-a-dozen souvenir stalls. The first KiosKiosk—an eyecatching design by Geraldine and Wayne Hemingway—will be set up outside London’s City Hall all summer, with plans to roll out the concept in other parts of the city and country at a later stage.

As well as encouraging startups and up-and-coming designers, the kiosk is a low-cost way for London to showcase the abundance of local creativity to visitors from around the world.

Website: www.kioskiosk.co.uk
Contact: www.kioskiosk.co.uk/html/contact-us.html

Spotted by: intelligentnaivety.com via Raymond Kollau

P.S. On a side note: back in 2004, our sister-site trendwatching.com coined the phrase pop-up retail, and one of the examples used was Delta's pop-up store in New York. Five and a half years later, Southwest Airlines is opening a pop-up lounge in Bryant Park, as reported by nytimes.com. Southwest is starting service at LaGuardia, and the "Southwest Porch" will be serving sandwiches themed to the cities they'll be flying to. Some trends just never grow old ;-)

Summertime, cell phones and free love seem to go together, if last year's rash of music festival phone chargers was anything to go by. This year, US Cellular is kicking off what could be a brand-new trend by giving consumers free, fully charged cell phone batteries in exchange for their drained old ones.

Launched late last month, US Cellular's Battery Swap program lets customers go to any company store and change out a dead or dying battery for a fully charged one at no charge. The provider is the first to offer such a service for free, it says. "Our Battery Swap program is a convenience for people who depend on their wireless devices as their lifelines, such as business people, parents, not to mention heavy users who drain their battery daily," Jay Ellison, the company's executive vice president and COO, explains. "We're offering this service to help our customers stay connected whenever they need it."

In a competitive industry like wireless—and during tough economic times—a little free love can go a long way toward making customers happy. Other providers: the Generation G* train just pulled into the station—better hop on board! ;-)

Website: www.uscellular.com/uscellular/SilverStream/Pages/x_page.html?p=batteryswap
Contact: www.uscellular.com/contactus

Spotted by: Judy McRae

* The G stands for generosity—more on that in our sister-site trendwatching.com's briefing about how businesses are following a societal shift from taking to giving.

Hot on the heels of vending machines selling after-party shoes, comes an interactive kiosk that speeds up the process of buying custom footbeds. The eSoles Foot Imaging Kiosk System is a self-service kiosk that takes a complex 3D scan of the customer's foot, helping create an eFit footbed within minutes. Customers can also use the scan to order a bespoke ePro footbed, which is shipped within days.

The process is easy enough for customers to carry out without sales assistance, using a touchscreen to lead them through standing, walking and jogging on a pressure mat in order to take a measurement. The mat maps out the customer's pressure points using 160 sensors, displaying the resulting personalised 3D image on the kiosk's screen. The kiosk then prints a ticket, providing the retailer with information to construct a USD 75 template-based footpad that's customized to the user's requirements. Alternately, customers can wait a little longer for a fully customised footbeds from the eSoles plant for USD 249. Their data can be stored permanently in the eSoles database, letting them order additional footbeds without repeated analysis.

After launching at The Cycle Loft in Boston, the eSoles Kiosk will be available to other footwear retailers this summer. By combining interactive customisation with self-service, eSoles offer an engaging, practical and scalable add-on for stores looking to offer their customers the benefits of custom insoles.

The innovation doesn’t stop there: eSoles has also developed insoles that relay pressure information to a nearby cellphone. An application on the phone can tell the wearer how much pressure he or she is applying in 11 different zones. The system has been trialled by the US Olympic BMX team, helping them figure out how to apply maximum power to bicycle pedals, and it can also help analyze a golf swing or skiing posture. The insoles will be available in a limited trial version in July, and the sensors will initially be priced around USD 300.

Website: www.esoles.com
Contact: www.esoles.com/contact

Spotted by: Judy McRae and Roberta Steinberg