SML Report Shows Retailers Expect Post-Pandemic Growth

BY RICH HANDLEY

Based on input from more than 500 apparel retail decision-makers, the report examines the impacts of COVID-19 on the industry, as well as the current sentiment regarding growth prospects and the challenges in bouncing back.

Dec 03, 2021SML RFID has announced the release of the first half of its two-part "The State of Retail in a Post Pandemic Era" report, which finds that more than a third of retailers feel confident in their ability to grow within the next year, but that recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic remains a concern. The report, which analyzes responses from more than 500 independent senior decision-makers representing apparel retailers in the United States and the United Kingdom, examines the pandemic's impacts on the apparel retail industry, as well as the general sentiment regarding growth prospects and the challenges in bouncing back.

According to SML, the past 18 months have posed a significant challenge for the retail sector due to the coronavirus outbreak. As the report explains, companies were forced to adapt to shifting consumer demands as in-store operations temporarily ground to a halt and as e-commerce became the primary sales channel. Those surveyed for the study deemed recovering from the pandemic to be the most significant obstacle, SML reports, with 38 percent of respondents citing this as their greatest challenge.