EP 239: The Tariff Storm: Navigating the Harsh Inequity of Global Trade

We'd love to have your feedback and ideas for future episodes of Retail Unwrapped. Just text us!Special Guest: Maytee Pereira, Managing Director in PwC’s US Customs and International Trade practice Regardless of the flipflops of the Trump administration’s trade policies, retailers are operating in the middle of a tariff war. When nations retaliate, executive strategies for tariff-driven disruption are thrown into chaos. Retailers face unprecedented challenges managing the transformation of 10-20 percent blanket tariffs into a complex web of constantly changing country-specific penalties disrupting forecasting, sourcing, and pricing strategies. Maytee Pereira, Managing Director in PwC’s US Customs and International Trade practice joins Shelley to help deconstruct tariff inequities. Supercenters can leverage scale to minimize shocks while discount retailers, heavily dependent on Chinese imports, face existential challenges. And small businesses have the toughest road without the deep financial pockets of the megabrands. Shelley and Maytee discuss the stark differences in readiness across sectors; apparel companies with years of experience navigating duties demonstrate remarkable adaptability, while other consumer goods retailers are encountering significant tariff impacts for the first time without tested response playbooks. Listen in and learn how forward-thinking organizations are implementing sophisticated approaches to mitigate tariff impacts.For more strategic insights and compelling content, visit TheRobinReport.com, where you can read, watch, and listen to content from Robin Lewis and other retail industry experts, and be sure to follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.