Mentions of tariffs are now popping up in product reviews
From prices to sourcing, more consumers are mentioning tariff-related concerns in product reviews.
Kuru, a footwear brand that largely manufactures in China, has noticed customers name-dropping tariffs more over the last couple months, its CEO Bret Rasmussen told Modern Retail. A month ago, one of its customers lamented how much prices had shot up in recent weeks, noting that “this is all prior to what is about to happen with the tariffs war.” For the apparel brand American Tall, a customer took to the review platform Pissed Consumer to complain that they were hit with a $62 collect-on-delivery fee “because of tariffs.” “I won’t be ordering anything else in the future, if this is how things are gonna be handled,” they wrote.
Retail sources told Modern Retail that they have seen such reviews trickle in as companies and consumers alike feel the squeeze of U.S. tariffs. Tariffs for most goods imported into the U.S. stand at a minimum of 10%. To adapt, many brands have spent the last few months raising prices, updating shipping terms or scaling back inventory. Now, shoppers frustrated by these changes are airing their grievances in online reviews, which could present a challenge for brands looking to win over more shoppers during an economically challenging time.
Thanks to social media, emails from brands and news articles, consumers today are getting a crash course on how tariffs are affecting them and their wallets. “Our customers are definitely conscious of [the tariffs] and aware of what’s happening and how it’s changing their behavior,” Kuru’s Rasmussen said. Michael Podolsky, the founder of Pissed Consumer, added, “Consumers are genuinely smart, and they do understand that tariffs are an additional tax placed on goods.”
Shoppers are sharing their experiences via product reviews and social media comments. They are also flocking to the review site Pissed Consumer. Pissed Consumer collects negative reviews on products from roughly 200,000 brands split into some 230 industries. The vast majority of Pissed Consumer’s traffic, about 75%, comes from the U.S. and Canada.
In the last several weeks, Podolsky and his team at Pissed Consumer have noticed more tariff-related reviews for goods in the retail, e-commerce, automotive, grocery and electronics sectors. “That’s where we see tariff discussions picking up,” Podolsky remarked.
Yotpo, which powers reviews for 15,000 brands across the globe, is also noticing more customers talk tariffs and manufacturing in reviews. It sent Modern Retail links to a dozen such reviews for products from brands including Darn Tough Socks and American Giant. It’s even seeing people talk about U.S. tariffs internationally. One review on Ruggable’s U.K. site said, “I love it and look forward to my next Ruggable purchase as soon as your president lifts his tariffs.”
Not all tariff-related reviews are negative. One review for a zip-up sweatshirt from the apparel brand American Giant, which manufactures domestically, said, “Totally sourced and made in the USA is a major plus!” Other reviewers are even asking for brands to move more production into the U.S. A review for the adult diapers brand NorthShore said, “Thank you for this product, please work to move all material and assembly done in the US.”
However, reviews don’t tell the full story. If customers are turned off by price increases or other aspects relating to tariffs, they might not buy a product and therefore won’t be in the position to give a product a review. Still, reviews are an important data point. Brands like Kuru are using reviews as a way to gauge how customers are responding to the larger macroeconomic environment — which is changing every day.
“We are monitoring what our customers are telling us and trying to better understand the impact tariffs and price increases will have,” Rasmussen said.