Tariffs May Play Grinch: Survey

Visions of empty shelves and higher price tags for goods that are in stock are dancing in the heads of shoppers planning their spends for this year’s holiday season, finds a new survey of 1000 American consumers by o9, an enterprise AI software platform.

Here are some major results from the survey, which was performed in conjunction with Team Lewis:

• 45% of those surveyed are extremely concerned or very concerned about global trade issues affecting their ability to find the products they want to purchase during the upcoming holidays.
• Across the board, about one out of five Americans said they have not recently purchased a product they need or want from the following categories due to the current economic climate: clothing (24%), groceries (22%), and electronics (21%).
• When they do make a purchase, 75% of Americans agree that they are more likely to buy based on a need and 55% will usually wait until the product is on sale.
• Regarding overall holiday spend, nearly one in three (32%) of survey respondents said they plan to cut back due to tariffs or trade restrictions, while 31% indicated they will switch to lower-cost brands or products.
• More than two in five (42%) of Americans said quality or durability would make them purchase a more expensive item from one brand over one that’s less expensive from another brand.

“Tariffs in their current form are being used more unpredictably and aggressively than in decades past, and our new shopper spotlight survey reflects the impact of that among American consumers,” said Adam Ben-Yousef, o9’s SVP, Revenue Growth Management. “Despite today’s uncertain economic environment, brands that can connect pricing, promotions and portfolio strategy with real consumer behavior are better equipped to navigate tariff volatility with clarity and control. With the right data, tools and collaboration in place, companies can make smarter tradeoffs, strengthen brand equity and deliver value in ways that last far beyond the 2025 holiday season, regardless of what the market throws their way.”

Click here for more from the o9 survey, which was fielded in Aug. 18-22.