Published by Women's Wear Daily on 8 April 2020

Amid the health crisis, some retailers see pockets of positive shopping online and some enduring post-pandemic trends.

Consumer spending on fashion is way down, but not entirely shut down. While Walmart, Walgreens, Amazon, Target, CVS, Costco, Kroger, Trader Joe's and other "essential" retailers are in high gear to meet the rush for food, pharmaceuticals and protective gear, others despair over what to do with all their "nonessentials" lingering on the shelves of temporarily closed stores and backed up in warehouses. "Clothing and footwear is facing a crisis. This category sees the greatest number of consumers cutting spending, and the level of sales transfer to e-commerce is insufficient to offset the impact of store closures," according to Coresight Research.

Yet several retailers and industry experts contacted by WWD over the past week cited a few bright pockets in soft goods, in particular baby clothes, basics, bedding, pajamas, sweats, denim, and generally speaking, clothes for comfort, lounging and sheltering in. No surprise there.

Full article: Pandemic's crushing retail impact: is there any light?