Marketplace All-in-One Time for another supply chain slowdown
Oct 15, 2025
The U.S. retail and supply chain sectors are experiencing a slowdown, with logistics hitting a low due to prior inventory stockpiling to avoid tariffs. Companies are hesitant to commit to warehouse leases amid trade uncertainties. Gen Z plans to significantly cut holiday spending, while small retailers are struggling with tighter margins. In Colorado, colleges are teaming up with the private sector to bolster skilled jobs training for the climate transition. Meanwhile, tariffs are complicating international library lending, leaving books stuck abroad.
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Tariff-Driven Stockpiling Slowed Logistics
- Many businesses pulled shipments forward to avoid tariffs, leaving inventories high and transportation utilization flat in September.
- That stockpiling created a supply-chain slowdown with fewer transports and nervous firms forecasting lower inventory over the next 12 months.
A Retailer’s Bulk Buy To Beat Tariffs
- Ken Gidden of Rothmans bought far more suits than usual this year to avoid tariffs and meet strong demand.
- He shifted from ordering 30 suits to buying 300 to be well positioned for the season.
Tariff Uncertainty Freezes Warehouse Investment
- Uncertainty over tariffs is shrinking long-term commitments and stalling warehouse construction.
- Developers delay projects because tenants refuse multi-year leases amid unclear future trade relationships.
