When people don’t know what to do, they tend to do nothing.  This is the case for many buyers who uncertain of where the market might be going, opt to ‘play it safe’ and sit on the sidelines – for awhile.

The chaos around US import tariffs is starting to settle into a pattern of sorts, but people are still reluctant to place any bets. 

Thus most people are sitting tight and waiting until the last minute to place orders. 

This is unnerving for mills and manufacturers, but then no brand wants to face the inventory glut that resulted from trying to get ahead of pandemic-era logistics challenges. 

That lesson is still fresh in many brands’ minds.