Consumer Behavior

Most consumers concerned about tariff impacts

Photo: Generated by AI. Adobe Stock.

September 22, 2025

A hefty majority, 87%, of U.S. consumers are worries about the impact from tariffs on shopping and finances and nearly one in five believe their job or industry will be affected.

Those are findings from Numerator's data and survey polling over 30,000 U.S. consumers between April and July, according to a press release.

Additional findings include:

• 77% are aware of new or proposed tariffs, with awareness peaking in April before slowly falling to 71% by early July.
• About a third (36%) fully grasp how tariffs affect prices, while nearly half (47%) have a general idea but lack details and 15% admit to having little-to-no understanding of the issue.
• 63% are worried about tariffs raising the price of everyday goods, 59% about general inflation, 48% about higher prices on non-essential items.
• Shoppers also reported worries around limited product availability (45%), the impact on the stock market (34%) and slower economic growth (30%).
• Shoppers worry most about tariff-related price increases in essential categories like groceries (58%), household goods (43%), gasoline (40%), and medications / medical supplies (36%).
• Over half (57%) of U.S. consumers believe tariffs will have a negative impact on the U.S. economy, and 77% are concerned about a recession within the next year.
• 82% of consumers anticipate making changes to their shopping habits in response to tariffs, such as cutting back on non-essential spending (47%), looking for sales or coupons to offset tariff price increases (42%), delaying non-essential or big-ticket purchases (32%), or switching to lower-priced retailers or discount stores (29%).
• 19% of consumers expressed concern that tariffs may impact their job or industry.
• 41% think tariffs in general have pros and cons depending on how they're implemented, while 25% think they're harmful and 23% think they're helpful. Many Americans (60%) also believe opinions on tariffs are largely shaped by political affiliation.
• 32% of consumers support the current tariffs, 22% feel neutral or have no opinion, and 45% oppose. Opinions are stronger on the negative side, with those who "strongly oppose" outnumbering those who "strongly support" 30% to 13%.