Tariffs and Holiday Shopping

NBC News Radio National Correspondent Rory O'Neill joins us to discuss how tariffs will impact your holiday shopping. 

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Have you started your holiday shopping yet? The answer for
me is, of course not. Maybe Sandy has This is
West Michigan's Morning News and NBC News Radio national correspondent
Rory O'Neil with us this morning. Good morning, Hey, good morning, Steve.

Speaker 2 (00:13):
You know Labor Day weekend, that shopping season's about to start.

Speaker 1 (00:16):
Well, we got to think about some of these tariffs.
And we've talked before about Christmas lights because of where
they come from, but now there are other things that
may cost you a lot or maybe hard to get
a hold of, right.

Speaker 2 (00:27):
Well, and I'd say the hard to get a hold
of is going to be the issue. Look, we've said
before as well that the market hates uncertainty, and boy,
we have had plenty of uncertainty with these tariffs. Right
Companies don't know if they should wait, the tariff may
come down, if they should have acted, or what we're
seeing in this Wells Fargo report is that they're sort
of ordering less to just play it on the safe

(00:47):
side so that they don't see a big swing either way.
And that means that shoppers may have fewer options with
the shopping season getting underway. So the advice from the
folks over at Wells Fargo. Essentially is if you like
it and you see it, you should get it. Sixty
six percent of shoppers planned to start earlier this year.
We've also got this new thing with the import tax

(01:08):
that's not being waived anymore. So we're seeing a lot
of disruption now in shipping of things that are cheap,
you know, temu and stuff like that. Stuff you buy
an eBay for our cell phone cover or new earbuds.
All that stuff is being slowed down now with these
new tariff changes.

Speaker 3 (01:24):
You know, in the past you've always said, okay, we'll
shop local, but this is going to be affecting our
local businesses trying to bring product in as well, right right, And.

Speaker 2 (01:32):
They've also had the struggle of well, what is that
tariff going to be when I order my little for
my little gift shop on main Street. So they've been
struggling to try to figure out, well, maybe because if
it's going to cost me fifteen percent more, let's just
say they might have to order fifteen percent less stuff.
And that's why the advice is go out and if
you find it, get it as early as you can,

(01:53):
because again with shipping confusion, tariff confusion. We might be
seeing a gift card Christmas once again. Oh boy, nothing
wrong with that, There was no judging. Was a famous
great massage?

Speaker 1 (02:07):
Great in my family. There was an ass scene on
TV Christmas once that was really big. Oh yeah on
the package. Rory O'Neil, NBC News Radio National correspondent, Thanks
for your time today.

Speaker 2 (02:20):
All right, who gave you the flow be? That's what
I want to know, all right, Thanks Duve