[MOCK RESPONSE — fixture text, no model was called.]

Dual-region retail entry with a direct store, year one:

1. Operations: commit inventory per region on a 13-week rolling forecast
   with one mid-season rebalance; fund one merchandising refresh per chain;
   train store staff with a 10-minute demo script and a returns cheat-sheet.

2. Channel-conflict separation at this stage is usually assortment-based:
   retail gets the standard SKU, direct gets the extended bundle and early
   colourways. Price parity on the base SKU, differentiation on bundle.
   Territory splits are premature at two chains.

3. Early warning signs to scale back before renewal: sell-through below
   60% of forecast at week 8, returns above category norm by week 10, or
   the chain requesting markdown funding in the first quarter. Any two of
   the three: renegotiate scope, do not expand.
