Core Insights - Retail stocks linked to merchandise have faced significant declines over the past year, primarily due to increased tariffs and the elimination of the de minimis rule for duty-free imports [1][2] Retail Industry Overview - Retail businesses typically operate on thin margins and rely on high volume for profitability; however, rising tariffs have severely impacted these margins, posing survival challenges for many companies [2] Company-Specific Analysis Deckers Outdoor (DECK) - Deckers is leveraging its premium brand positioning to mitigate tariff impacts by increasing prices on its fast-growing HOKA and UGG products [5] - The CFO of Deckers indicated that if tariffs from Vietnam rise from 10% to 20%, the company could face an unmitigated impact of $185 million on its cost of goods sold in fiscal year 2026 [5] - Deckers has established cost-sharing partnerships with manufacturing facilities in Vietnam and China to distribute the tariff burden [5] - The company boasts the highest return on invested capital (ROIC) in the retail sector at 53% for 2024, with $1.72 billion in cash and only $312 million in debt, allowing it to remain profitable despite tariff challenges [6] - The mean price target for Deckers is $127.80, indicating a potential upside of 26% [6] Lululemon Athletica (LULU) - Lululemon is also positioned as an efficient business in the retail sector, with a ROIC of 45% [7] - Despite its efficiency, Lululemon has received a "Neutral" rating from Citi and a consensus "Hold" from 31 analysts [7]