CALIFORNIA APPAREL NEWS ASKS THE FINANCIAL EXPERTS WHAT APPAREL BUSINESSES CAN DO TO ENSURE A STRONG FINISH TO END 2021?

Upon entering August, the apparel industry was already in a full back-to-school-season swing. Now that consumers are out and about after a year of COVID-19 lockdowns, apparel businesses are ready to help these customers spend. While consumers and businesses want to bid adieu to the challenges of 2020, there remain issues that could still affect shoppers and the apparel industry.

As kids prepare to return to school and employees to their offices, new viral variants of the pandemic have developed, leaving some businesses experiencing difficulties staffing their apparel operations with qualified workers.

Despite these issues, there is a lot of good news in the industry. Many consumers want to spend money and treat themselves to new products as they enjoy more freedom following a year of remaining at home. This back-to-school season is fueling growth in retail over the previous year as consumers seek to make purchases that were delayed during 2020 due to remote-learning policies that kept students and teachers home rather than in the classroom.

With consumers finalizing back-to-school purchases, in addition to planning autumn spending and holiday splurges, we asked financial-industry experts: As consumers shop in the midst of back-to-school season, how should apparel-industry professionals guarantee a strong finish as they head into fall?