After a grim spring season EU retail has surprised most of us by bouncing back so quickly.Data from Eurostat this week showed that total retail trade was up 1.3% year-on-year in June.Retail sales of non-food products rose 4.2% year-on-year in June, however apparel and footwear retail sales were still down 25% from June 2019. Other categories either grew or showed small, single-digit declines during the period. Electronics and furniture were up 4.5% year-on-year in June, while sales of computers were down 6% from June 2019 levels. Is There Hope for Apparel?Yes, we believe there is. People will always want to look good. Kids will keep growing and need new clothing. Schools and offices will eventually reopen and people across most demographics will want something new and fresh looking. However the success will not be equally distributed across all fashion brands and retailers. The winners will be those companies that really understand their customers. Simply following 'the trends' or designing apparel that's more about what you want to sell than what your customer wants to buy is going to lead many brands towards failure.The same goes for quality. Quality must at least meet, and preferably exceed, consumers' expectations. In this new retail evironment, that means that better fabric is an investment, not an expense. Better fit is essential, not optional. And better designs are a must-have, not a nice-to-have.You No Longer Own Your MarketFrom city dwellers to rural outposts, consumers have a wide range of choices - and that's growing exponentially.E-commerce has not only give consumers the opportunity to shop well beyond their neighborhood or city center. It has open the door to a wide range of Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) brands.This is being further enhanced by the growth of cross-border e-commerce - making the range of choice literally limitless.The global cross-border B2C e-commerce market was $562.1 billion in 2018 and is expected to reach around $4,856.1 billion by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 27.4% between 2019 and 2027.Around 54% of US digital shoppers reported making online purchases from foreign site. Approximately 67% of global consumers who shop abroad are buying because prices are lower outside of their own country, according to data from Invesp.Aside from looking for lower prices, consumers are also looking to buy brands that aren't available in their home country.There are an estimated 400 D2C brands today, while online trends suggest web traffic for these brands has roughly doubled in the past two years, according to eMarketer.Though affordable merchandise is clearly attracting new customers, D2C companies are also building powerful brands that stand for quality and innovation.D2C brands have found success with lifestyle categories like apparel, beauty and home furnishings, said eMarketer.In the US alone, 40% of internet users expect D2C brands to account for at least 40% of their purchases within the next five years.The message is clear: getting in touch with the consumer, finding out what they want, and then delivering on that is best survival strategy from brands, regardless of demographics.