• by Ray Schultz , Columnist, April 29, 2025

Consumers are nervous about tariffs. And they’re pulling back on spending, restricting themselves to essentials, judging by U.S. Tariffs: Consumer Impact, a study by Wunderkind.  

Of the shoppers polled, 91% are aware of tariffs, and 63% say they are very aware, while only 3% have no awareness whatsoever.  

Those who are very aware include 71% of men and 53% of women. 

Brand loyalty cannot be expected in these circumstances. Only 36% of consumers will remain loyal, even with clear updates on pricing and availability. 

Moreover, 37% plan to reduce spending during the summer and holiday periods, with 32% saying they will focus only on essentials and 42% planning to hunt for discounts. 

Gen X is even more cautious — 45% expect to tighten their budgets.

On the positive side, consumers are open to marketing when there’s a clear value in return. For instance, “43% of shoppers are willing to opt into email or text communications in exchange for better prices or early access to deals,” the study says. “This intent is even stronger among Gen Z, with well over half (54%) indicating a preference for value-first engagement strategies.”

In addition, 56% of consumers will wait longer for a product if the price is right. This number jumps to 69% for Gen Z and 61% for millennials. And 62% men say they are willing to wait, compared to 50% of women. 

A mere 6% of consumers are not concerned with tariffs affecting prices. 

“For brands, these behaviors reveal a key strategy: highlight value clearly, use email and text to deliver that value, and frame longer fulfillment times as a tradeoff for better deals,” the study contends, and then concludes with these takeaways:

• Price now outranks loyalty
• Transparency is non-negotiable
• Innovation is your advantage.

Wunderkind surveyed 307 U.S. consumers between April 14 and April 16, 2025.