Groceries could be higher next week, clothing by summer

“I couldn’t even talk I was so bummed,” Gregorich said.

He’s hoping he’ll know exactly what the costs of tariffs will be when he needs to place his next overseas orders.

For larger retailers, there’s more room to “absorb the pain” of tariffs, Bagchi said.

“It’s not going to flow through one-to-one because there’s margin baked in. If the tariff is 30% or 25%, it’s not going to be a 25% increase on the shelf. It might be a 5% or 10% because at each step somebody can take some hit,” Bagchi said.

Small businesses like Gregorich’s have less flexibility in keeping prices low.

In an email sent to customers on Monday, Nurture&, a nursery furniture company, urged those in the market for a nursery glider, crib, dresser or kids bed to make purchases now. The company is honoring its lower pricing through April.