These days everyone is trying to get into the activewear games. From Target Corp. to American Eagle Outfitters Inc.’s Aerie to Madewell to Danielle Bernstein’s WeWoreWhat, retailers are trying to find their place in the world of athleisure and performance wear. There’s also sportswear giants like Nike Inc., Adidas AG and Under Armour Inc., along with smaller activewear brands, such as Urban Outfitters Inc.’s FP Movement by Free People, Gap Inc.’s Athleta and Fabletics that ha

Consumers are beginning, tentatively, to plan for a post-pandemic world. That means hope for the fashion industry too after months of slow sales. But luxury marketers also face a new, more contagious strain of Covid-19 ravaging Britain and a lag in the global rollout of vaccines, making investments trickier. London’s Heathrow Airport expects to see travellers start taking holidays as early as February. Summer season partying is prepping for an early start too. Universal Music

Retail planning is challenging in normal times — it’s a far greater dilemma during a pandemic. With COVID-19 continuing to spike, retailers have planned very conservatively for the first half of 2021, but they’re grappling with how to approach the second half. Should they gamble on a rebound in mall traffic and pent-up demand for apparel, as vaccinations roll out and people start going out again, to work and to events? Or proceed with extreme caution? Filled with uncertainty,