The ongoing government shutdown did not sway retailers from coming to Washington, D.C., to share how unpredictable tariff policies are harming their businesses and communities. On Oct. 21-22, NRF convened a group of 15 small business owners to advocate for sensible and predictable trade policy that puts American businesses and consumers first.
Small businesses are particularly vulnerable to the negative impacts of record-high tariffs. Learn more.
Tariffs continue to pose a major threat to the vitality of small retail businesses. With the winter holiday shopping season approaching, it is essential for these retailers to make their voices heard. NRF provided a platform for them to meet with lawmakers and staff, many of whom are still holding constituent meetings despite the shutdown.
For half of the retailers in attendance, it was their first time advocating in person on a major issue affecting their business. We spoke with three of these first-time advocates to learn why they took the time away from their businesses ahead of the busiest time of year and what message they brought to Congress.
Small independent outdoor retailer Waterstone Outdoors, located in West Virginia’s New River Gorge National Park, has experienced a 10%–15% increase in wholesale costs from European brands and frequent mid-season price changes that make it nearly impossible to plan inventory and pricing for the holidays.
Owner Holly Fussell and her husband Chris made the trip to D.C. to share that it’s not only the price increases that are causing pain — they’re also facing unexpected increased labor costs. “Each new shipment requires hours of manual repricing and data corrections in our pricing system, doubling our receiving time and raising labor costs,” she said.
“Unpredictable tariffs create sticker shock for customers, erode sales and undermine small retailers like us who are working to sustain rural economies built on outdoor recreation.”
Brad Miller, founder of YoColorado, an apparel retailer serving Golden, Colo., for over 13 years, shared with policymakers the serious impact of unstable tariff policies on his business. Over the past six months, the erratic changes have forced him to make difficult decisions regarding hiring, pricing and inventory.
“The instability and uncertainty have driven up our costs, caused shipping delays and made it nearly impossible to plan for expenses and product delivery,” Miller says. He urged decisionmakers in Washington to consider how “unpredictability is severely harming small businesses — creating financial strain, disrupting operations and ultimately passing those negative effects on to American consumers.”
“Small businesses like ours are resilient, but we depend on stable and equitable trade policies to remain viable,” says Jannet Guerro, owner of HAUS of TRADE, a boutique specializing in community-sourced goods in San Clemente, Calif.
Check out NRF’s hub for quick insights and practical tools tailored especially for busy, time-stretched small retail businesses.
Supporting local artisans and sustaining local employment is a core priority for Guerro, and the cumulative pressure of tariffs and cost increases threatens her ability to do so.
“We have been forced to reduce inventory orders by 20%–25%, scale back collaborations with small makers, who are also facing higher material costs, and limit staffing and hiring due to both rising labor costs and reduced revenue,” she says.
Learn more about how tariffs threaten small businesses at NRF’s Tariffs Threaten the American Dream page.
