Mercy's Apparels, a fabric company, was established post World War II with the aim of catering to the demands of consumers looking for affordable quality clothing. To differentiate itself from its competitors, the company developed a distinctive identity as the producer of budget clothing. In the context of the history of American business, Mercy's Apparels was most likely established during the .

The correct answer is: marketing era.

Explanation:

The Marketing Era, mostly known as the Marketing Concept Era, started around 1950 after World War II (WWII). The initial marketing approach in this era was to produce goods to then push them to consumers so they could buy them. This strategy started to lose strength during this stage since manufacturers realized they needed to produce goods consumers were attracted to purchase. The overall economy was in recovery after WWII so companies started to produce low-cost items consumers were likely to afford.