. >> this is helen, a partner at san francisco-based newport group. she advises ceos at top national retail chains. >> the silver business is doing almost half of your total sales. >> true. but your silver business has about 70% of the inventory. do you need all of this? >> do you you node thneed them ? >> the way i have always done it is overdo it in terms of certain items. if somebody wants a chain, i have them all. >> like many entrepreneurs, joe has always believed that more selection means more sales. >> that's not how helen cease it. >> i have been a buyer for the largest retailer in the world. that's macy's. everything we there and everything i learned was about reducing your assortments, not expanding them. >> as they examined all the shops, it became clear each one has large amounts of unsold inventory. >> to make it easier for the customer to buy is to narrow up some of this. >> her first recommendation. get rid of the slow-selling merchandise, even at discount prices and use the cash to focus on what's hot and profitable. >> the problem was