But this time, it has turned chaotic as import tariffs on China, from where Loftie sources its sunrise lamps and phone-free alarm clocks, disrupted the supply chain. DELAYED ORDERS, LOW ON STOCKWhen Trump threatened tariffs as high as 180% on Chinese imports in mid-April, Hassett explored shifting production to Thailand, where duties were lower. “Now we’re sitting on lower-than-ideal inventory.”AdvertisementBIG RETAILERS EASILY ABSORB SHOCKSBig-box retailers such as Walmart and Costco can soak in the supply jitters by leveraging scale more easily than smaller firms. Operating margins for small retailers with total assets less than $50 million have plunged to negative 20.7%, according to business analytics provider RapidRatings, leaving 36% of them at a high risk of bankruptcy compared to 12% of large retailers. More than a dozen small U.S. retailers that Reuters spoke to also flagged significant cost increases, resulting in some of them cutting jobs or trimming offerings to save cash.

Source: Huffington Post November 26, 2025 15:39 UTC