To retail industry analyst Marshal Cohen of market research firm NPD Group, the greatest advantage for Spanx besides the obvious increase in visibility will be the capacity to road-test new products and categories without having to fight for department store space.

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It was no surprise, therefore, that light-jet competitors eventually surpassed it in most categories, including range, runway performance, baggage capacity, and eventually even cabin comfort.

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Thus far, only China has the capacity to produce at the scale, timing and quality levels required by large multinationals across a broad range of product categories.

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