As retailers prepare for the busiest time of the year, the trade war with the United States has many looking to make last-minute decisions in terms of what they offer.
The shopping push for things like Halloween, Black Friday, and Christmas could mean the difference between breaking even or not for many retailers – with that time period collectively known as the “golden quarter.”
Jim Cormier, the director of government relations with the Retail Council of Canada, says this time of year is “vitally important” for businesses.
With tariffs on a list of goods from the United States, and Canadian counter-tariffs set to be imposed next week, Cormier states that retailers are “nothing if not nimble,” but they are looking at different suppliers.
He says businesses will try to pivot, but sometimes that’s not possible. In those cases, he says they need to decide whether they are going to raise prices, absorb the costs for a little while, or discontinue selling the product all together.
