21.   Burlington said it has selectively cut back production of denim because of the excess inventory.

22.   Businesses were stuck with excess inventory, causing a slowdown in sales.

23.   Bruce Van Kleeck, spokesman for the National Retail Federation, also sees a future where traditional retailers use net auctions as a possible way to dump excess inventory.

24.   Businesses are also far along in shaking off excess inventories.

25.   But because demand has been weaker than expected, they still need to sell off excess inventories before cranking up production, economists say.

26.   But it also created excess inventories that Ford must siphon off by offering rebates and other incentives.

27.   But in a business, excess inventory can be fatal.

28.   But in January, consumers began spending, helping to drain off excess inventories.

29.   But private analysts tend to agree with the Clinton administration that the economy may have already bottomed out, with excess inventories now pared enough to spark resumed growth.

30.   But the company ran into trouble when fashion trends changed and demand for its footwear plummeted, leaving the company with excess inventory.