On Tuesday afternoon, Glossy and Modern Retail reporters and editors gathered in a virtual town hall with Glossy+ and Modern Retail+ members to discuss the effects that tariffs are having on the fashion, beauty and retail industries. Here’s a recap of the discussion.
Out of the gate, the industry insiders were eager to discuss consumer sentiment. The gap between the announcement and rollout of tariffs and their actual impact on brands and consumers meant that many consumers didn’t immediately realize how tariffs would impact their daily lives. However, now that cargo shipments to the U.S. are down and brands are beginning to implement price increases, the effects are clearer. Because measuring consumer sentiment is a difficult task, many leading brands are focusing on other indicators of how their customers are feeling.
“In terms of quantitative data, sales are the most visible indicator that we track week by week,” said one attendee representing a beauty brand. “Beyond that, in qualitative measures, it’s looking at reviews and review ratings, and things like that. But there’s no one outlet that is really able to capture all the consumer sentiment right now.”
Glossy’s West Coast correspondent, Lexy Lebsack, who covers the beauty and wellness industries, cited data from the University of Michigan showing that consumer sentiment is down around 25% this year.
“What we’re hearing is that a lot of people are slightly pulling back through the first quarter,” she said. “People are spending more on mass beauty and less on prestige, for example. But it’s really hard even for consumers to understand what’s actually impacting them and what’s not.”
Another attendee from a trade association inquired about how tariffs and consumers’ new prioritization of more affordable goods are affecting both counterfeits and dupe culture.
“Something that our members are really worried about is the rise of counterfeits,” they said. “I’ve seen brands debating whether they should raise their prices and whatnot, and since people are already nervous about their spending habits, will that turn them toward more counterfeit products online?”
Whether tariffs will hinder or help the production of counterfeit goods remains to be seen. Vietnam has already vowed to step up its anti-counterfeit measures in an effort to secure reduced tariffs from the U.S. government, while other countries like China may deprioritize such measures as retaliation for tariffs.
One investor who attended the town hall said that, while uncertainty makes it incredibly difficult to plan, they’re advising their brands to not make drastic changes unless they’re absolutely needed.
“The conversations I’ve had with founders — and not just of companies I’ve invested in — has been that if you are not dramatically exposed to China, for example, it’s best to be mindful but not make any drastic changes,” they said. “But if you are massively exposed, it makes sense to start moving your sourcing.”
