Metro Atlanta costume store owners trying to survive as tariffs affect Halloween profits
Halloween could be a little scarier than usual this year because of the tariffs. The spooky season has hit retail stores with extra costs, which may have your wallet filled with only cobwebs.
Metro Atlanta costume shop owners say they're trying to survive during the uncertain times.
Angie McClean, the owner of Psycho Sisters in Little Five Points, says tariffs have caused slower shipping times and higher wholesale prices.
"Everything is so unpredictable right now," McClean said. "Our cat suits use to be about $48 for a top-notch cat suit. But now the wholesale has gone up and I have to sell it $78."
Most costume merchandise is imported from China, Taiwan, and India. McClean says the inventory she received this year had a 15% tariff added to her invoices.
The Atlanta businesswoman says she's absorbing most of the costs by not raising her prices by too much while customers try to find a deal.
Ronnell Tomedonou, the owner of Marietta's USA Party Store, had a short response to how they're handling the tariffs.
"We hurt," she said.
Tomedonou says she hasn't raised prices. Instead, she's taking the hit to her bottomline.
"We used to be able to get free freight or free shipping. Now we're paying more charges for the tariffs," she said.
Tomedonou says the majority of the products in her store are manufactured in America.
"A lot of our vendors are located here in the United States, so that makes it better for us to not be able to source overseas," she said.
In response to the costs, she's had to raise the prices on cups and plates to keep up.
"The only prices that we've had to go up on are the plastics," Tomedonou said. "Plastics have increased."
Both sales owners say Halloween is their biggest time of the year, accounting for more than 20% of their sales.
They're each taking a big hit, but are hoping to push through and help people around the area have a fun and spooky holiday.