Summary

• US apparel and footwear tariffs surged well above historical norms
• 76% of fashion executives say trade disruption will shape the industry in 2026
• Early responses, such as price hikes and cost efficiency, can buy time but don’t create resilience
• Agility will define winners: continuous testing, monitoring, and recalibration are essential

Introduction

Tariffs have moved from a supply chain concern to a commercial reality that fashion can’t outmanoeuvre with short-term fixes. Rising US duties are fundamentally reshaping how brands price, source, and compete, and in 2026, agility will separate winners from the rest.

Apparel and footwear tariffs in the US jumped from 13% to 54% in spring 2025, before settling at 36%, according to McKinsey’s State of Fashion 2026. 76% of executives expect trade disruption to continue shaping the industry, signaling a permanent shift rather than a temporary shock.

Why Agility Is the Advantage

Brands have pulled obvious levers, such as price hikes, cost efficiency, sourcing diversification, streamlined assortments, and tighter logistics, but these moves buy time, not resilience.

The real challenge isn’t cost increases, it’s the speed and unpredictability of change. Brands won’t win with one-off decisions; they’ll win by continuously testing, monitoring, and recalibrating faster than competitors. This is where market intelligence can help.

Key areas to track in real time:

• Where price increases are sticking and where they’re breaking demand
• How competitors are absorbing or passing on tariffs
• Which assortment shifts are gaining traction

Turning Market Intelligence into Agility

EDITED’s  Retail Intelligence platform transforms market volatility into actionable insight, providing real-time visibility on pricing, discounts, new products, and category performance across global markets. It empowers retailers to:

• Active Tariff Monitoring: Track tariff impacts and competitor responses instantly
• Agile Pricing Strategies: Adjust prices quickly while protecting margins
• Localized Product Strategies: Optimize assortments and explore new markets
• Strategic Category Optimization: Prioritize high-demand, low-tariff products
• Smarter Inventory Planning: Reduce risk and maximize sales in cost-effective regions
• Proactive Overstock Prevention: Get early alerts and act fast to protect profits
• Tariff Tracker: Monitor real-time updates on how tariffs are affecting your markets to stay ahead of shifts.

By using these insights, brands can make smaller, smarter adjustments driven by data, not reactive guesswork.

Conclusion

In 2026, the strongest brands won’t be the biggest or the cheapest. They’ll be the most agile, leveraging real-time intelligence to move faster, price smarter, and protect value in a market where certainty no longer exists.

Book a demo today to see how EDITED can help you navigate tariff turbulence with confidence and be ready for what’s next.