Fear of Trump tariffs drive shoppers for Black Friday deals

Brushing snowflakes off her hair, Teagan Hickson walked into a Walmart Supercenter in Fort Wayne, Indiana, with hopes of picking up a few holiday deals on Black Friday. The first thing the mother of two spotted: a pallet stacked high with Gourmia digital air fryer ovens for $50 each.

Her sister Jordan had been wanting one, she said, but money was tight right now for everyone in her family. She worried about expenses next year after reading posts on Facebook about price hikes if President-elect Donald Trump’s planned tariffs go into effect in January.

“I’m trying to not spend too much,” said Hickson, 43. “I don’t want to add to my credit cards, but I don’t want to pay more for stuff next year.”

As retailers reopened United States stores after the American Thanksgiving holiday, some locations drew clusters of shoppers. People were eager to see stores’ Black Friday discounts, often comparing them to rivals’ prices for similar merchandise online.

Weighing on the minds of many Americans: Should prices rise in 2025 as a result of Trump’s move to implement new tariffs on some US imports, consumers like Hickson could feel the impact at grocery stores and restaurants, potentially driving up their living costs.

At the Walmart, Hickson called her husband, Josh, who was sitting in front of his computer at home and ready to compare prices in the store with what they could find online.

“Baby, this looks pretty nice,” she told Josh. “What’s it online?” A few seconds later, Josh found a similar model on Amazon for double the price. She grabbed a box, put it in her cart, and headed deeper into the big-box store.

Walmart, which operates 4,700 US stores, this year is offering a variety of deals on Samsung TVs, Dyson vacuum cleaners, Lego and Hot Wheels toys, Levi’s jeans, and air fryers, although its pre-Black Friday discounts began on November 11.

Cristal Lopez pushed a cart full of clothing and a couple of sling tote bags through the aisles of a North Bergen, New Jersey, Walmart Supercenter, looking for holiday clothes for her two kids.“I find the prices pretty much the same as last year,” she said, adding that she still had some shopping to do to finish her holiday list. She intends to spend $1,000 to $2,000 total – same as last year – mostly on clothing.