GST woes for branded apparel persist Branded apparel manufacturers and retailers are yet to overcome the impact of the new indirect tax regime. The textile chain was in limbo after the goods and services tax (GST) was introduced because of the cascading tax burden and now consumer sentiment has been impacted.Falling exports have made matters worse.The September quarter results of big players have reflected this. Branded apparel products that cost more than Rs 1,000 attract 12 per cent and those below this 5 per cent.As a result, consumers are shifting towards lowpriced apparel.Established players have to comply with the new tax mechanism as they don´t deal in cash. A part from that, branded apparel firms had to purchase from their bulk consumers ahead of the date of the GST introduction, July 1, to avoid the high tax levy. Asaresult, they have some additional stocks. Rahul Mehta, president, Clothing Manufacturers Association of India, said, “Weak consumer sentiment, sharply falling