{"id":7733,"date":"2025-05-28T06:14:14","date_gmt":"2025-05-28T06:14:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nationalgunowner.org\/index.php\/2025\/05\/28\/how-american-retailers-are-navigating-trumps-volatile-trade-policy\/"},"modified":"2025-05-28T06:14:26","modified_gmt":"2025-05-28T06:14:26","slug":"how-american-retailers-are-navigating-trumps-volatile-trade-policy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nationalgunowner.org\/index.php\/2025\/05\/28\/how-american-retailers-are-navigating-trumps-volatile-trade-policy\/","title":{"rendered":"How American Retailers Are Navigating Trump\u2019s Volatile Trade Policy"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The warehouse of REBEL, which works with over 2,500 baby products. Courtesy of REBEL<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In retail, crisis planning once meant preparing for wildfires, hurricanes, floods\u2014or more recently, a pandemic. But in 2025, a different kind of force majeure has emerged\u2014not from nature, but from politics: tariffs. <\/span>For American retailers large and small, the erratic tariff policy <\/span>tied to Trump\u2019s second-term agenda feels less like economic strategy and more like an act of divine upheaval.<\/p>\n

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Navigating pricing, planning and logistics has become a high-stakes guessing game. When policy shifts are announced via Trump\u2019s social media account, trade alliances can dissolve overnight and tariff schedules flip faster than a quarterly budget cycle. Businesses aren\u2019t operating under a stable set of rules\u2014they\u2019re flying blind while the rules keep changing.<\/span><\/p>\n

When Trump reemerged as the Republican front-runner in 2024, many saw the renewed tariff threats coming from a distance as trade protectionism has remained one of the few <\/span>ideological throughlines<\/span><\/a> in Trump\u2019s career in the public spotlight<\/span>. Still, the speed of the threats\u2014and the improvisational style of their rollout\u2014has caught many executives off guard<\/span>. (Trump\u2019s stance on tariffs has already shifted several times since this article began taking shape.)<\/p>\n

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If Trump\u2019s first term taught global business leaders anything, it\u2019s that constant recalibration\u2014not the policies themselves\u2014poses the greatest threat to commercial stability. Observer spoke with dozens of retail CEOs and founders, consumer experts and supply chain strategists, and one message came through loud and clear: preserving optionality is no longer just a strategic advantage\u2014it\u2019s a survival skill.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n

Tariff threats reshape risk planning<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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From Wall Street to Main Street, companies aren\u2019t just bracing for impact\u2014they\u2019re actively reengineering operations and supply chains to withstand what many now call a \u201cTrump majeure.\u201d The phrase hasn\u2019t yet made its way into legal or contractual language, but it\u2019s already become industry shorthand for the mounting volatility businesses face across sectors.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n

\u201cI\u2019m seeing related conversations pop up,\u201d Bill London, an international attorney at Kimura London & White, told Observer. \u201cThe term \u2018Trump majeure\u2019 may be informal, but the disruption is real. Businesses are revisiting contracts to insert renegotiation clauses and price adjustment mechanisms triggered by tariff shifts. It\u2019s a more secure strategy than hoping \u2018force majeure\u2019 language will cover them.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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That reality was underscored in a recent conversation with Charlie Youakim, CEO and co-founder of Sezzle, a publicly traded buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) platform serving tens of thousands of retailers. With a window into broad consumer behavior and merchant activity, Youakim has become something of a bellwether for the retail sector.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n

\u201cWe sit in a position where we can see patterns emerge before they hit the headlines,\u201d Youakim told Observer. \u201cFrom what we\u2019re hearing, a lot of pure e-commerce retailers\u2014especially those reliant on Chinese manufacturing\u2014are scrambling right now. Some are reworking logistics, others are repricing inventory on the fly.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

While Sezzle itself may be somewhat insulated, Youakim doesn\u2019t yet see signs of broad-based distress. \u201cThere\u2019s no panic, but there is urgency. Everyone\u2019s adjusting\u2014some quietly, some aggressively. It\u2019s a moment of recalibration more than crisis,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n

He also offered a pointed reminder about who feels economic shifts first. \u201cThe media calls it a recession when the upper middle class cancels vacations or cuts back on luxury. But our users\u2014gig workers, blue-collar families, recent grads\u2014they live in a recession every day,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Small brands scramble while insulated players seize advantage<\/strong><\/h3>\n

At Minnesota\u2019s <\/span>Faribault Mill<\/span>, CEO Ross Widmoyer has embraced a hyper-local model\u2014one that, through a combination of history and serendipity, has proved remarkably resilient. Nearly all inputs, from wool to labor, are sourced domestically\u2014the lion\u2019s share of their workforce lives within a 15-mile radius of the factory.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe didn\u2019t design the business with tariffs or global instability in mind,\u201d Widmoyer told Observer. \u201cBut because so much of what we do\u2014our materials, labor, supply chain\u2014happens to be domestic, we\u2019ve found ourselves unusually insulated and incredibly agile in this moment.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Faribault Mill employs around 100 people and brings in nearly $20 million in annual revenue. It has expanded its offerings to include apparel, accessories and high-profile design collaborations\u2014with partners ranging from major sports brands to pop culture icons like the <\/span>Peanuts<\/span><\/i> characters. The company owns and operates its entire production infrastructure, including looms and finishing equipment, making it less vulnerable to supply chain shocks. And this level of insulation has allowed the company to do what\u2019s virtually unthinkable for most retail brands: lower prices in the midst of economic upheaval.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Faribault Mill founder Ross Widmoyer. Courtesy of Faribault Mill<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Contrast that with entrepreneurs like Steve Skillings in South Carolina, founder of <\/span>BusyBox<\/span>, a small manufacturer of smart-home gadgets. Facing skyrocketing component costs due to tariffs, Skillings is on the verge of shutting down. \u201cI\u2019ve stopped advertising. I\u2019m laying off contractors. There\u2019s no capital, no SBA <\/span>[Small Business Administration] help and no roadmap,\u201d he told <\/span>Observer<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The underlying truth: most retail businesses\u2014especially those under $25 million in annual revenue\u2014don\u2019t have the luxury of time or the necessary resources to overhaul supply chains on short notice. They lack lobbyists and legal firepower. What they have instead is a daily survival calculus.<\/span><\/p>\n

Jason Wingate, co-founder of <\/span>Zlumber<\/span>, a top-selling bed accessory brand on Amazon, put it bluntly, \u201cYou can\u2019t just be reactive anymore. You have to build structural flexibility into the way you operate. That means diversified suppliers, agile freight partners and a deep bench of manufacturing options.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The China dilemma<\/b><\/h3>\n

For many companies that have relied on foreign sourcing, China has long been the go-to\u2014an unrivaled hub of scale, efficiency and manufacturing sophistication. It\u2019s no exaggeration to say China has served as the backbone of global retail supply chains. But now that Beijing is once again squarely in Trump\u2019s crosshairs, that reliance is looking increasingly precarious.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The problem? Moving away isn\u2019t nearly as easy as it sounds. These supply chains were built over decades,<\/a> and unwinding them brings higher costs, inconsistent regulatory regimes and fragile infrastructure. Alternatives like Vietnam, India and Mexico may be rising, but they come with their own serious constraints.<\/span><\/p>\n

Lee Mayer, CEO of <\/span>Havenly Brands<\/span>, an online interior d\u00e9cor store with creative design services, is skeptical of rapid re-shoring. \u201cThere\u2019s this myth that we can just onshore everything overnight,\u201d she told Observer. \u201cIt\u2019s not realistic. We\u2019re already seeing price hikes of over 30 percent. Will people still buy $2,000 sofas if they know half that cost is tariffs?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Contrast that with <\/span>David\u2019s Bridal, <\/span>America\u2019s largest bridal retailer, which has proactively restructured its global supply chain in anticipation of tariff volatility. Under the leadership of newly minted CEO Kelly Cook<\/a>, the retailer shifted its China-based production from over 50 percent to just 30 percent well ahead of the most recent tariff announcement, rerouting production to facilities in Vietnam, India, the Philippines and beyond. So has Mattel<\/a>, the maker of Barbie dolls and Hot Wheels cars, which has reduced its manufacturing reliance on China to 40 percent<\/a> in recent years, compared with the industry-average 80 percent.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben Koren, CEO of Brooklyn-based <\/span>Frameology<\/span>, an online picture framing store, took even more dramatic steps well before Trump was sworn in for a second term, embarking on an effort to re-shore production years ago. \u201cNow, over 90 percent of our costs are U.S.-based. It\u2019s more expensive, yes\u2014but far more predictable,\u201d he told Observer.<\/span><\/p>\n

From lobbying to redesigns, businesses build for instability<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Across the board, companies are responding in different ways: some are shifting production, others are building structural flexibility into their operations, leaning into innovation, or even engaging in policy advocacy. <\/span><\/p>\n

Emily Hosie, founder of REBEL\u2014an online platform that resells open-box and overstock baby gear and home essentials\u2014is lobbying for tariff exemptions on baby products. \u201cThese aren\u2019t luxury goods. They\u2019re required by law. Families are already stretched\u2014this is just punitive,\u201d Hosie told Observer. \u201cAs a retailer, we have a responsibility to collaborate, push for exemptions and stand up for our community.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Emily Hosie, founder of REBEL. Courtesy of REBEL<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Keegan Nesvacil, CEO of Woodland Tools, which manufactures gardening and cutting tools,\u00a0<\/span>describes a \u201cdesign-for-resilience\u201d model. The company, which manufactures a broad range of gardening and cutting tools, integrates customer feedback and supply chain data to pivot quickly. \u201cWith recent tariffs creating complex supply chain demands, we\u2019ve re-engineered several products to use alternative materials that aren\u2019t tariffed, shifted component sourcing closer to home, and modularized designs so we can swap parts in or out based on availability,\u201d he told <\/span>Observer<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Many large brands have opted <\/span>to stock up on inventory<\/span><\/a> to get it in before more onerous tariffs take effect. Still, frontloading inventory only works for some. Shelf-stable products can be stockpiled; seasonal goods and perishables cannot. What companies need is clarity, and that remains elusive.<\/span><\/p>\n

There\u2019s no single path forward\u2014just a growing recognition that navigating \u201cTrump majeure\u201d requires a mix of foresight, adaptability and the willingness to rethink old playbooks. <\/span>Call it \u201cTrump majeure\u201d or just the new normal\u2014resilience now depends on agility, optionality and the recognition that there\u2019s no cookie-cutter playbook. The businesses that endure will be those built to bend, not break.<\/span><\/p>\n

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