Retailing: Lease a Tree, Get One Free

Lease a Tree, Get One Free

Is it better to buy a fake but reusable Christmas tree? Or to buy a real, traditional tree and feel guilty about wasting a natural resource? For city dwellers without a yard, buying one with roots is out of the question. So what's left? Swedish megamerchant IKEA may have the answer. For the sixth year in a row, the home-furnishing chain is offering its Rent-a-Tree program to American customers. Conceived in Europe during the 1970s and introduced in the company's seven U.S. stores as they opened, it works like this: for $20 -- a $10 deposit and a $10 rental fee...

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