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Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.

Retail’s Looming Inventory Problem

Amid tariff whiplash, retailers are scrambling to balance demand with delayed shipments. Too much stock — or too little — could spell disaster for fall and holiday collections.
Clothes on racks
Many brands brought in their inventory for summer before the tariffs kicked in. Coach-owner Tapestry said its first-quarter inventory level was 6 percent higher than the year prior, while Aritzia reported its inventory level to be up 12 percent at the start of March. (Shutterstock)

Tariff panic arguably hit a peak when the CEOs of Walmart and Target met with President Donald Trump in April to warn him that import duties as high as 145 percent would inevitably result in empty shelves.

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Further Reading

Trump’s Tariffs, Explained in 4 Charts

Uncertainty around the rollout of the tariffs — how long they’ll last and whether more are in the works — complicates the fashion industry’s ability to adjust to the new reality.

About the author
Cathaleen Chen
Cathaleen Chen

Cathaleen Chen is Retail Editor at The Business of Fashion. She is based in New York and drives BoF’s coverage of the retail and direct-to-consumer sectors.

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