"But Butler says she and her twin sister-business partner had to work harder this year to turn browsers into buyers and to make a profit. Many of the decorations and stocking stuffers they sell are made overseas and either did not arrive or got more expensive when President Donald Trump imposed unusually high taxes on imported goods, she said.In response, the sisters focused their selection on more profitable items like nutcrackers and gift baskets."
""We're definitely seeing more cautious spending this year," she said.Along with the unpredictable tariffs, stubborn inflation and weak hiring have shaken consumer confidence in the U.S. economy. The vast majority of U.S. adults say they've noticed higher than usual prices for groceries, electricity and holiday gifts in recent months, according to a December poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research."
Ah Louis Store in San Luis Obispo becomes a heavily decorated holiday shop offering over 500 ornament varieties and numerous gift baskets. Owners shifted merchandise toward higher-margin items such as nutcrackers and gift baskets after many imported decorations failed to arrive or rose in price due to unusually high tariffs. Customers are spending more cautiously, choosing lower-priced baskets and fewer ornaments. Unpredictable tariffs, persistent inflation, and weak hiring have eroded consumer confidence. Most U.S. adults reported noticing higher prices for groceries, electricity, and holiday gifts, and a Gallup index fell to a 17-month low as estimated gift budgets dropped $229 between October and November.
Read at Fast Company
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