At the moment, Costco cannot buy directly from out-of-state vineyards, but must go through Washington's three-tier distribution system, complete with mandatory mark-ups.

ECONOMIST: If you liked the film ��Sideways��, you'll love this ruling

Mr. GEOFF SUNDSTROM (Spokesman, Triple-A): What's occurring at the retail level and at the fuel distribution terminal is a complete draining of their gasoline inventory, the cleaning of all the equipment and storage, and then a refilling of that storage with the new Ethanol blend fuel.

NPR: Marketplace Report: Feeling the Pain at the Pump

Initially developed for the distribution of cook stoves, it has expanded to a more complete basket of products including eyeglasses, vegetable seeds, solar lights and water purifiers.

FORBES: Social Entrepreneurship: The MicroConsignment Model