STOP PRESS!
I've just found out that for us in Europe, we can buy the Gretsch USA Standard, which are stock USA Customs, essentially. They are exactly the same as a set of USA Customs, except not made to order. You buy set sizes and finishes. All the info here:
http://www.musicradar.com/gear/all/drums/usa-standard-kit-503719/review
They have those here, too. USA Customs in "pre-configured" shell packs.
To answer your other post, what differentiates the Renowns from the USA Customs is the same thing that differentiates the mass market mid-level kits from the top-tier kits from any manufacturer -- customization and shell composition.
Gretsch can lay out 2-3 configurations for a kit using a single shell type as a base, in 4-5 finishes, and tell their plant in Asia to crank out 10,000 units every 3 months. These kits look and feel like the "pro" kits, at 1/3 of the cost to manufacture. They then justify the price of a USA Custom kit by allowing choices in wood type, finish, sizes, etc. and these kits take 6 months each to build.
Are the shells exactly the same? No, but they are still North American Rock Maple (maybe with a ply or 2 of a cheaper maple mixed in there). Is that enough of a difference to keep costs down while maintaining "That Great Gretsch Sound"?? To my ears, yes, it's a good trade-off.
Are the die-cast hoops and the other mounting hardware the same?
Yes, probably. They use the same Gibraltar hardware made in Asia that they use on the USA Customs (probably from a factory in the same town).
Do they paint the interior with Gretsch Silver Sealer? Yes, although just like the 5-lug toms this is arguably a marketing thing. They claim that this is still part of "That Great Gretsch Sound". They know more about making drums than I do. I just know that my Renowns sound great and I love playing them.