Buy Now Before Tariffs Hit, Retailers Are Telling Shoppers

Throughout his campaign, Trump promised to impose tariffs of 60% on all Chinese goods and across-the-board tariffs of 10% to 20% on goods from other countries. On Monday, he laid out plans to levy tariffs of 25% on imports from Mexico and Canada, and an additional 10% on goods coming from China, citing the countries’ facilitation of fentanyl abuse. If enacted, those tariffs could wreak havoc on companies’ supply chains and squeeze profit margins.

It is unclear what tariffs will be levied and how much they will affect prices. Companies are pouncing at a moment when fear and uncertainty are on the rise and consumer spending is showing signs of weakness. Best Buy warned of softer demand for consumer electronics, while Kohl’s and Target reported lower apparel sales in the latest quarter.

The beauty brand Jolie Skin urged customers via email to “lock in our current prices” before potential tariffs push them higher, as seen on screenshots shared on social media. The brand, which sells shower heads as must-have beauty accessories, uses viral marketing to position its plumbing item as a water purification tool that benefits skin and hair.

Jolie’s email encouraged customers to act fast and warned that the price of its signature filtered shower head could jump 25%, to $205, if tariffs take effect. Jolie didn’t respond to requests for comment. 

The outdoor and sporting-goods retailer Tarptent leveraged the looming threat of tariffs to boost its continuing sales promotion in mid-November. A recent Facebook post promoting its Black Friday sale, which offered up to 35% off some tents, said: “These are the best discounts we will likely offer until this time next year, and with potential tariffs looming, they might be the best prices for a lot longer than that.”  

Some influencers on TikTok are feeding into the tariff frenzy, urging people to buy their favorite products in bulk now. Others on the platform are doling out tips on how long everyday items such as makeup, shampoos and food can be stored, helping users strategize their stockpiling plans. 

Finally Home Furnishings, the furniture seller, delivered this warning on Facebook earlier this month: “The very same items you are seeing now will be double the price once the tariffs kick in.” The message prompted several customers to place orders sooner rather than later, said the owner, Sydney Arnold. The retailer plans to expand its efforts with email and traditional mailings to spread the word. 

“There is a misconception that the countries exporting goods will bear the cost of the tariffs, but that is simply not true,” Arnold said. Rather, she added, price increases will be passed on to consumers. 

You may also like

Up Next

0:00

ADVERTISEMENT

0:00

Paused

0:00 / 0:58

Tap For Sound

A decade ago Joe Onorato, owner of the custom fishing rod maker J&J Sports Service, used to pay $15 for guides. These are the cylindrical loops along the length of a fishing rod that keep the line close to the rod. Today they cost about $74. 

“I am just looking at my expenditure on materials and sitting here thinking, ‘Well, you think you are paying a lot now, wait till the new tariffs hit,’” said Onorato, who sources a lot of his materials from manufacturers that import parts from Asia. 

He promoted a sale on Facebook on Nov. 18 as a way to alert his customers. “Buy now…tariffs are coming not a joke,” the post said. “We will hold the line as long as we can. But we can say for certain this may be the last ‘sale’ you may see.” 

Most large corporations have yet to incorporate warnings about possible tariffs into their marketing campaigns, and they might not explicitly do so at all. But several have pointed out that they might need to pass on higher costs. 

AutoZone Chief Executive Philip Daniele has told analysts that the auto-parts retailer “will pass those tariff costs back to the consumer” if they come to fruition. Tariffs “certainly would add product costs,” Lowe’s Chief Financial Officer Brandon Sink said on the company’s recent earnings call.

Tariffs have the potential to cost shoppers up to $78 billion in annual spending power, according to a recent study from the National Retail Federation.

Small-business owners said they fear that higher prices will cause shoppers to pull back on how much they spend and be more selective with what types of products they purchase. 

Anthony Ruiz, an artist who sells custom-designed stickers and pins online, has launched a marketing effort on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok promoting a pretariff sale with 25% off all items on his site. 

“In an effort to order more stickers before the tariffs go into effect, I’m running a sitewide sale!” the ad said.

Ruiz is rushing to stockpile inventory by placing more orders with his manufacturer in China before January, so he can avoid raising prices. He expects the price of a 2-inch pin to rise to $17 from its current $10 if tariffs take effect. 

In just a few days, he said, his campaign has generated 170 orders.

Write to Suzanne Vranica at Suzanne.Vranica@wsj.com