Michael B. Duff

The hitch is that customers sign up for the day's deal on a conditional basis — the deal only works if a sufficient number of people apply for it. If that happens, then everybody who signed up has his or her credit card billed and can then print out the Groupon to bring to the merchant in question. On the other hand, if not enough people apply for a particular day's deal, then it is canceled. The people who signed up don't get billed, and they just check the website (or get email notifications) for the next day's amazing deal.

The shift away from gold selling comes as European central banks reassess gold amid the financial crisis and Europe’s sovereign debt crisis. In the 1990s and 2000s, central banks swapped their non- yielding bullion for sovereign debt, which gives a steady annual return. But now, central banks and investors are seeking the security of gold.