The company wants to attract brand advertisers that will buy premium ad inventory and more of it than smaller businesses or individual customers.

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Second, its inventory, which will offer a mix of brand-new items, items from older seasons (like Gilt does), custom-made orders and unique archival pieces.

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Moreover, we believe Nike could recover its growth pace in China as it is taking steps to bring down its regional inventory levels, increasing its marketing activities to enhance its brand image, and realigning its product portfolio to suit Chinese preferences.

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"They're starting to lay out stores differently, with better merchandise like private label food and more brand-name apparel, " says Dreher, who also stressed that a more decentralized approach to inventory management figures will help Wal-Mart do a better job stocking stores based on local tastes in each market.

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