**New York, Aug 25 (Reuters) -** Consumer companies that rely on younger shoppers are bracing for a potential hit to their sales as millions of Americans start repaying student loans again after a pandemic pause..
Student loan repayments, which have been paused since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, are set to resume at the end of August. The resumption will affect about 43 million borrowers with federal student debt, according to the U.S. Department of Education..
Many of these borrowers are young adults who are just starting out in their careers and are important customers for companies that sell everything from clothing to home goods to electronics..
