Buy now or pay more later? “Macroeconomic uncertainty” makes shoppers worried

I bought something before You are definitely need Not always affordable. But if you have time to consider making an early investment, this is what you think. President Donald Trump’s tariffs From luxury strollers to cheap smartphone chargers, products are beginning to get higher.

The Trump administration suggests that tariffs are Negotiation tactics. Some may be eliminated as the US trades with other countries. In other words, our shoppers are happy to await the current chaos.

I’m wondering what I should do for myself here. As a new dad, my family will need a new car seat early next year. These plastic buckets are generally required to buy new ones, but they don’t get cheaper under normal circumstances. We’ve gathered ideas from experts in the online shopping industry for clues on how to navigate the dilemma of buying now or later.

One of the first lessons I learned in this study was that if I decided to buy in advance, I am not alone. “To some extent, we’ve seen an increase in purchases in certain categories that could indicate that we’ll maintain stock in advance of the potential tariff impact,” Amazon CEO Andy Jassy said in a revenue call last week. eBay also said that people didn’t specify what products they stocked, but they saw signs of what they could do in advance.

Meanwhile, there are hints that most consumers have offered up for now. This time of the year has tended to be relatively quiet for iPhone and other Apple products, which has been the case so far in 2025, CEO Tim Cook said in a company’s revenue call last week. MasterCard’s revenue comment said shoppers are spending their expectations. And Etsy has seen a decline in the total value of products sold by customers with less gifts and trinkets.

So, if other consumers are guides, I can go either way by purchasing a seat in the car. What about the price? With the tariff impacts starting to hit last week, Amazon’s Jassy said the platform’s prices have not been “slightly” so far. He added that Amazon is “focusing on maniacs” on lowering prices. Amazon has a global network of competing suppliers and merchants that are useful. For example, if one seller raises a price, another seller may be stable to gain market share, says Jassy. “Customers will be more likely to find diversity at choice and at low prices when they come here,” he added.

Jassy did not touch on illegal tactics, including tariff avoidance, which could artificially keep the prices of imported products low. However, several e-commerce strategists who help businesses sell their products on Amazon tell Wired that Asian factories and distributors are acknowledging new attempts Customs duty on a skirtIncludes sub-value of shipments to US customs officials. “It’s always been an unfair playing field, and now they’re pushing envelopes even further,” says Dave Bryant, co-founder of Ecomcrew.

Amazon spokesman Jessica Martin says sellers must “comply with all applicable laws and regulations when importing items for sale.”

The government doesn’t often lose tariff revenue, but it’s naming shoppers who are worried about the more affordable trade-offs, says Bryant. He and other strategists agree with Jassy that competitive items (thinking household items and popular party favors) are unlikely to cause prices to skyrocket on Amazon. However, more boutique offerings can be more expensive due to customs duties.