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October 2025 • Issue 25:10:01

A new kind of holiday rush

faster, smarter, pricier

Tariffs now in the mix

Dave Charest, director of small business success at
Constant Contact, said in an interview that many small
businesses are prepared for the impact of tariffs and are
making "tough decisions" to increase prices, and explaining
the why to customers. "Small businesses are resilient," he
said. "They're not waiting to see what happens. They are
taking action."
"The ripple effects of tariffs, global trade shifts and beyond
haven't left small businesses a lot of breathing room,"
Constant Contact wrote in a report, The state of small business
marketing in 2025. "Some are adjusting prices, finding new
suppliers, and reworking their marketing. Others are trying
to be more transparent with customers and show stability
while they wait for other changes."

In a survey of small businesses, Constant Contact found
By Patti Murphy that for 62 percent of respondents tariffs have impacted
their sourcing; another 68 percent expect more disruptions
t's the fourth quarter of 2025, and businesses large to occur this year. Thirty-nine percent have had to find new
and small are preparing for the end-of-year holiday suppliers, and 46 percent have raised prices.
season. And while holiday shopping is far from being
I in full swing, spending shifts are already noticeable, "Many say they don't feel fully prepared for what's ahead,
according to the Mastercard Economics Institute's (MEI) but they're doing what [small and midsize businesses] do
annual holiday forecast for the United States and Canada. best: thinking lean, staying nimble and continuing to move
forward," Constant Contact wrote in its report.
Online sales growth will continue to outpace in-store
shopping, according to the Mastercard unit. MEI is
projecting Americans will increase their online spending
by 7.9 percent, year-over-year, compared to a 2.3 percent Contributed articles inside by:
spending increase at brick-and-mortar stores. Similar
growth patterns are expected in Canada: a 5.3 percent in
online spending and 2.5 percent in store. Allen Kopelman .....................................................................................17
Adam Atlas ..............................................................................................19
But inflation is expected to be a larger contributor to sales
growth, as opposed to actual sales volume compared to Dale S. Laszig .........................................................................................28
last year, and the impact of tariffs on consumer prices is
not yet clear. "Some retailers betting on sales volume may Rinku Sharma .........................................................................................30
choose to eat the tariff increases, but there are signs that Stephanie Storry ...................................................................................32
others will be passing them along," MEI wrote in its report
on holiday shopping trends. Elie Y. Katz ...............................................................................................34

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