The annual back-to-school shopping season is a key sales period for retailers. Sales and supply chain activity in 2020 were curtailed by the pandemic. A phased return to school during 2021 as well as more summer schooling present planning challenges for retailers’ supply chain activities too. U.S. seaborne imports of kids shoes / apparel and backpacks have improved by 64.4% and 9.8% year over year respectively in Q2’21. Yet, when comparing Q2’21 to Q2’19 shipments of shoes and apparel were down by 12.6% and backpacks by 15.2%. The longer-term shift away from de...