Consumers are Stressed about Tariffs. For Companies, It’s More Complicated | Global News Avenue

American consumers are worried about tariffs. So are the companies that serve them, although not everyone is preparing for the worst.

Consumer sentiment in February The biggest hit per month in three yearsAccording to a conference committee’s consumer confidence survey, the survey shows Americans are worried that tariffs will stimulate inflation.

Executives said on a recent conference call that businesses are exploring how to protect their profits through changes in supply chains and rising prices. While some consumer-centric companies worry that tariffs can harm business, others are confident they can cope or get higher import costs from it.

President Donald Trump Say this week Starting Tuesday, he plans to impose a 25% tariff on products in Mexico and Canada. He also said the U.S. would raise tariffs on goods from China and recently spoke about increasing tariffs in projects in other regions, including the EU.

Tariffs will cause prices to rise for some companies

Many companies say they will at least raise some prices if tariffs are imposed, from cosmetics company Sally Beauty (SBH) to Hamilton Beach Brand (HBB), small household appliances for sale.

Many businesses say they are delivering potential blows by diversifying their supply chains. Steve Madden (shooCEO Edward Rosenfeld said procurement from China has dropped by about 20% since the last quarter. But selective price increases are still necessary, he said.

Higher prices may not significantly change the prospects of some companies. Birkenstock (BurkeCFO IVICA KROLO said on a revenue call last month that the situation of its shoe conference was completed in Germany, it has been able to raise prices without any impact.

“Historically, the good news here is (historically) the ability to take pricing actions globally to offset these inflationary pressures, including tariffs, without any impact on our business,” Crowlow said.

“We’ve experienced it before”

Some large companies see their size as an advantage of navigation tariffs. Coca Cola(ThatCEO James Quincey said on a February debriefing call that he relies more on plastic bottles than cans than cans. He added that even if the company pays more for aluminum, it won’t “fundamentally change billions of dollars in U.S. operations.”

Walmart (WMTExecutives say know how to find value for consumers under the condition of tariffs. The same is true for Home Depot (HD) Billy Bastek, vice president of merchandise sales, said in a earnings call this week.

“We’ve experienced it before,” Bastek said, according to a transcript provided by Alphaense. “With our scale, we think we are positioning the same way than anyone on the market.”

Some companies see opportunities to benefit

Some companies say they may even benefit from the tariffs.

Year(Year) Don’t expect tariffs to affect their product profit margins. Mustafa Ozgen, president of equipment, products and technology, said they could increase the cost of “high-end” TVs, prompting people to shift to cheaper options and increase demand for Roku.

Newell Brand (InvalidYankee candles sold) believe that tariffs are both headwinds and potential benefits. CEO Christopher Peterson said the company has increased its production capacity in the United States. This has led Newell to more competitors (and potential customers) on a revenue call in February.

Peterson said the company has been informing retailers that it could quickly increase manufacturing capacity in the U.S. ” Peterson said.