• by Ray Schultz , Columnist, August 5, 2025

Consumers are skeptical and even panicked about the impact of tariffs, and many pulled back on their Amazon Prime Day spending, according to a study by Wunderkind—U.S. Tariffs: Consumer Impact Survey Series. 

Of those polled, 62% are concerned about the economy, versus 23% who feel more secure than they did in January.  

The most optimistic are men (31%), boomers (28%) and millennials (28%). Only 16% of women feel the same way, along with 15% of Gen Z.  

Feelings about tariffs are also split by demographic. They are fully supported by 19% overall.

Again, men are most likely to approve of them, at 25%. And 23% of boomers agree. 

But 49% of women doubt that tariffs protect jobs, along with 46% of Gen X. 

As for Prime Day, 39% spent less than they did in the past, and 28% shelled out more. The biggest declines were seen among Gen X (49%) and women (46%), largely due to price sensitivity and budget constraints. 

At 39%, millennials were mostly inclined to spend more, followed by Gen Z at 39%. 

Unfortunately for Amazon, 34% feel the event was not applicable to them, with boomers leading the way at 60%. 

The biggest reason for those who spent less was budget—35% agree, including 46% of Gen X and 33% of boomers. 

This year’s holiday lookout is problematic for merchants. Of all consumers, 30% plan to spend less, especially Gen X (41%) and men (31%). Overall, 24% plan to do their shopping during the Black Friday/Cyber Monday period.  

As in a recent study by Optimove, email is the dominant channel—56% of shoppers prefer it for personalized offers. It is most popular with women (62%) and boomers in general (59%). Meanwhile, 20% like text, especially younger consumers. 

Wunderkind surveyed 303 consumers in July.