Apparel and Retail Market Brief: Presidential Election

While the COVID-19 pandemic shook up the retail and apparel sectors in the first half of year, the industry is showing signs of recovery consistent with the broader economy. As we move closer to the election, equity markets and key economic performance indicators continue to strengthen as the economy reopens and uncertainty regarding future performance declines.

We created this market brief to provide insight into how the upcoming U.S. election could potentially affect the apparel and retail sector. It is important to note that the actual impact may be influenced by various factors, including geopolitical and economic events. Nevertheless, we looked to prior elections to identify historical patterns with retail activity pre- and post-election and how M&A activity has fared throughout the period. We also summarize current candidate positions across tax and trade, which will invariably have a direct impact to apparel and retail, and spotlight how brands and retailers have become increasingly focused on sociopolitical alignment.

Key Summary Highlights

• Themes heading into election week
• Post-election week retail landscape
• Candidate policy implications
• Additional M&A and apparel insights