Consumers still care about sustainability amid pandemic, report finds
For years, consumer concern regarding sustainability practices has been on the rise, and this survey from Kearney is yet another indication that these efforts are no longer a luxury but an expectation — even during a pandemic.

According to a study from Nielsen in 2018, almost half of U.S. consumers are likely to change what they buy to align with environmental standards. Kearney's survey found that two years later, about eight in 10 consumers consider the environmental impacts of their purchases.

FDRA's National Shoe Sales Reports 
US Shoe Store Retail Update
Starting from a broader perspective, overall retail demand plunged in March as the initial spread of the novel coronavirus prompted a rash of store closures and social distancing. Retail sales tumbled -6.2% year-over-year in the latest month, the first contraction in more than a decade. The US Census Bureau is reporting sales at clothing & clothing accessory stores (off -50.7%) and department stores (-23.9%) primarily drove the March tumble in overall retail sales & food services. 

Canadian Shoe Store Retail Update
Starting from a broader perspective, overall retail demand grew again in February, expanding a seasonally-adjusted year-over-year 3.0% in this latest month, a bit slower than January's fastest pace in nine months. Twelve of Canada's thirteen provinces and territories posted gains in retail demand from twelve months ago, while laggard Nunavut contracted a modest -0.7%. Similarly, ten of Canada's eleven main retail sectors also saw gains.  

Shoe Stores Likely to Shed Record Number of Workers

Fallout from the coronavirus pandemic has shuttered thousands of companies and displaced millions of workers across the US, with already-sagging shoe store employment set to fall much further. Recently the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported its  latest read  on America's labor market, pointing to a dramatic collapse in the number of employed Americans from the outbreak.   

Footwear Prices Plunge in April as Demand Crumbles from Coronavirus

Stay-at-home orders and social distancing due to the outbreak of the novel coronavirus decimated demand for footwear in April, causing prices to reverse course from a February high to the lowest level in years. Recently the federal government reported its  l atest read  on US consumer prices, including retail prices for footwear.

Shoppers Ready To Buy Apparel But Don’t Feel Safe Trying It On As Stores Reopen
As stores reopen across the country, a recent study by First Insight found that the majority of consumers (54 percent) are ready to buy apparel in-store, followed by home improvement (36 percent) and footwear (32 percent).

However, the purchase experience will likely look much different than it did pre-Coronavirus, as 65 percent of women say they will not feel safe trying on clothes in dressing rooms, 78 percent would not feel safe testing beauty products and 66 percent would not feel safe working with a sales associate.

By comparison, 54 percent of men said they would not feel safe trying on clothes in dressing rooms, 64 percent would not feel safe testing beauty products and 54 percent would not be comfortable working with a sales associate.

First Insight Coronavirus Crisis Consumer Studies and Results
What China’s Recovering Retail Scene Could Mean for US Store Openings
As U.S. retailers grapple with plans to gradually reopen stores that had closed to help slow the spread of the coronavirus, many executives are continuing to turn their attention to  China  for a brick-and-mortar blueprint.

Since retail has largely returned to normal in the Asian country — where the virus originated and then forced stores to shut down before the disease reached the U.S. — several footwear firms say they’re already seeing signs of positive results.

Nike, for instance, revealed on its fiscal third quarter earnings call on March 24 that a majority of its doors in China are open, and president and CEO John Donahoe said the results have been encouraging. The executive stated Nike experienced double-digit increases in retail traffic week-over-week with some stores having already returned to prior year levels.

MSC Mia Arrives at the Port of Long Beach