Apparel inventories were released by the Census with Mish updating the various charts. One point to note is that apparel inventories to sales continue to sit at historic highs. What does this mean for apparel retailers and brands?

Huge markdowns and sales for the holidays to clear inventories
Off price and discount apparel players will have their pick of the litter from wholesale brands and licensees. Everyone from TJX to Ross to Burlington will have large inventories to pick from.

Looks like this will be another holiday with low margins for traditional retail and huge discounts for shoppers. The world is awash in apparel.