Outdoor Retailer Trade Show Businesses Face Uncertain Future With Tariffs
By Jeff Todd
DENVER (CBS4)- As companies once again descend on Denver for the Outdoor Retailer trade show, many are still concerned about the uncertainty of future tariffs.
"Where is this going? When is this going to end? And right now we're in a really delicate space," said Snowsports Industries America President Nick Sargent.
A third list of tariff items is expected to be announced in a few weeks. The last list already hurt several small businesses in Colorado.
"I started hearing about the tariffs the day they went into effect," said Krimson Klover founder Rhonda Swenson.
Earlier this year, the women's clothing brand from Boulder had to pick up the 25 percent tax on its entire line of 2018 Knit hats.
"Everything we brought in got hit with a 25 percent tariff," Swenson said. "We can't pass that on to our customers because we already sold the product in at a certain price."
Next year the tariff price will be passed on to the customer for thousands of items.
"That product that will be tariffed at 25 percent. Those will be pushed down through the retailer, through the consumer and that's where we're being held hostage," said Sargent.
The Outdoor Retailer Show allows companies to get their products in front of sellers for next season. Outside of higher costs for customers it's unclear what the future is if tariffs stay in place.
"This is our first show so we don't know how things are going to play out. My guess is that our hat sales will significantly decrease," said Swenson.
Jeff Todd joined the CBS4 team in 2011 covering the Western Slope in the Mountain Newsroom. Since 2015 he's been working across the Front Range in the Denver Headquarters. Follow him on Twitter @CBS4Jeff.