Michigan shoppers might find the jingle in their holiday shopping rings a little different this season.
Retail experts say three forces are shaping what ends up in carts this year: less variety on shelves, quiet quality tweaks to keep prices flat, and tariffs pushing companies to be more selective.
Jason Miller is a supply chain expert at Michigan State University who says shoppers probably won’t have the selection that they’re normally used to seeing this time of year.
“And that is because importers are being quite cautious and only bringing in their best sellers and or the products that they make the most profit on per sale, and the big reason for that is because of the tariffs,” Miller said.
Miller says shoppers may notice subtle quality shifts, like fewer accessories or slightly cheaper materials, as companies look for ways to cut costs.
Beyond costs and supply, Miller notes the shopping experience itself may be shifting in a new direction. Instead of making a list and checking it twice, he says many shoppers may turn to high tech for shopping guidance this season.
“There will be a lot of folks who will be turning to ChatGPT or Claude or Grok or any of these different AI chatbots and programs in order to ask for shopping advice. You know, where should I go? What should I buy?”
While tariffs are driving up expenses on many hard goods, Miller says soft demand is keeping retailers from passing those increases on to consumers. Overall, he emphasizes the uncertainty from the recent federal shutdown, and the possibility of another in January, makes predicting this year’s holiday spending tougher than usual.
