Study: Nearly Three-Quarters of U.S. Retailers Have Lost Profits Due to Tariffs

A majority, 73 percent, of U.S. retail companies have experienced profit losses due to the impacts of tariffs, according to a survey conducted by the AI-driven rebate and pricing management platform Enable. Of the U.S. retailers surveyed, 90 percent are concerned about the impact of tariffs over the next 12 months, with a third being “extremely concerned.”

While 73 percent of companies plan to increase prices to offset the impacts of tariffs, 37 percent admit that it takes weeks or months to implement these price changes. The survey found that 30 percent of the average business costs of U.S. retailers surveyed were exposed to tariffs; this anxiety reflects a significant risk to profits.

Andrew Butt, founder and CEO of Enable, stated in a media release. “The lag between tariff updates and implementing price changes creates a window where competitors with faster pricing capabilities can capture significant market advantage.”

Beyond raising prices to offset the impact of tariffs, 57 percent of U.S. retail businesses plan to reduce costs elsewhere, and 45 percent are considering scaling back or withdrawing from high-tariff markets entirely.

Other findings from the Enable study include:

• Customer relationships add another layer of complexity, with 79 percent of business owners fearing customer sensitivity to tariff-related price hikes and 88 percent of businesses concerned about negatively impacting relationships due to pricing changes.
• System limitations were identified as the second-largest barrier to pricing agility, after customer pushback. Sixty-nine percent of businesses expect to invest in new pricing tools within the next 12 months, while 76 percent have reviewed or updated their pricing processes due to market volatility.

“As trade tensions show no signs of abating, the research highlights that building pricing resilience has become an urgent strategic priority,” said Butt. “Organizations that can rapidly assess tariff impacts, model response scenarios, and execute changes will be best positioned to protect margins and establish a competitive market advantage.”

The survey research was conducted by Censuswide among 1,500 senior business leaders with pricing responsibility across retail, FMCG, manufacturing, and wholesale distribution in the U.S., the UK and the DACH region. The data was collected between June 19 and 30, 2025.