Tariff Impact On Durable Goods Purchases: Consumer Sentiment Insights

Early 2025 brought a constant state of change to U.S. policies around international tariffs.

To better understand how consumers responded to these ongoing policy changes, OpenBrand began fielding tariff impact questions in March 2025 using our MindShare consumer survey to monitor how sentiment around purchasing is shifting.

Using these survey results, we conducted a study on consumer purchase behavior in the midst of tariff concerns. The resulting report, Tariff Impact on Durables Goods Purchases, delivers a timely snapshot of exactly how US consumers are reacting, capturing shifting perception and the impact of tariffs on purchase decisions.

Download the full report now or take a look at highlights from the data below.

As tariffs continue to dominate the economic landscape their influence has a growing impact on how consumers purchase durables. Early signs show that consumers are shifting their behavior in ways that could quietly reshape the durables market. 

Overall consumer awareness of tariffs increased in April, up 4 percentage points (ppt) month-over-month. There was also an increase in consumers reporting delaying purchases as a result of higher prices, up by 3.8 ppt. As concern grows more consumers in April than March cited they purchased earlier to avoid price increases. 

Now let’s take a peek at April week-over-week data to see how consumer responses shifted in tandem with the volatile economy enforcing a variety of tariffs in April.

Key Takeaway: As policy changes were announced and tariffs took effect (or were paused) in April, awareness of tariffs increased, consumer decisions to delay purchases as a result of tariff concern increased, and more earlier purchases were made to try to get ahead of tariff impact.

Where the full report dives into data and takeaways for the following demographics, we included below a key takeaway from each to highlight the impact tariffs are having at a high level.

Regionality
Tariffs have a fairly consistent impact regardless of U.S. region, with northeast and midwest coming in slightly higher in terms of tariff awareness and the South had lowest tariff awareness.

Urban vs. Rural
Urban consumers are slightly more proactive and price-sensitive, as well as slightly more engaged across all influenced behaviors.

GENDER
A higher percentage of females reported tariffs impacting their purchase decision.

HOMEOWNERSHIP
Homeowners are less impacted by tariff news than renters, however they are delaying repairs due to tariff sensitivity.

EMPLOYMENT
Retired consumers are the demographic least impacted by tariff concerns, with 66% of retired consumers state tariffs did not impact purchasing.

PROS & CONTRACTORS
Respondents employed by either a builder or contractor bought or plan to consider more American-made products than those not employed by a builder/contractor.

INCOME
Lower income consumers are more likely to delay purchases due to tariffs; higher income respondents reported purchasing products earlier to avoid higher prices

POLITICAL AFFILIATION
Politically tolerant shoppers are less impacted by tariffs; Politically intolerant consumers are more price sensitive. 

AMERICAN-MADE PRODUCTS
Tariffs are having a clear impact on consumer sentiment toward American-made products, with 1 in 5 consumers buying or considering buying more American-made products as a result of tariffs.

Among consumers who did not purchase in Q1, there are still a few categories where tariffs may have less impact on Q2 purchases. Here are the top categories where consumers said they plan to purchase in the next 90 days.

Regardless of tariff influence, Lawn & Garden is on consumers’ minds as the category most likely to purchase in the next 90 days.

For insight into what brands and retailers are top of mind for consumers in Q2, download the full report.

The key for durable goods businesses is to remain adaptive and attentive.

Specifically, paying attention to consumer sentiment toward tariffs and preparing to pivot messaging, pricing, and inventory management to align with shifts in consumer demand. Strategic emphasis on value, timing, and American-made goods may prove essential in maintaining consumer trust and driving sales in a volatile environment.

To take a deeper look into how tariffs are impacting consumers, download the full report.

Report Contents

• Tariff insights for April 2025
• Additional takeaways and data around key demographics
• Brands & retailers consumers are most likely to purchase
• What brands and retailers can do to accelerate purchasing
• Impact summary

OpenBrand will continue to gather tariff impact survey data daily and will refresh reporting on how consumer trends shift as US policies evolve. If you’d like access to the data for a specific category, contact us at winshare@openbrand.com. 

Here are additional solutions OpenBrand delivers to help brands and retailers stay ahead of tariff uncertainty and market shifts. 

• OpenBrand Consumer Price Index for Durable and Personal Goods: additional pricing intelligence that can help you stay informed as tariffs and inflation impact the market
• Economic Forecasting Solutions: Know how the market is changing – before it changes. Forecasting available for pricing, retail channel sales, shipments, and BYO data.
• Competitive Intelligence: From real-time pricing and promotions data to store-level inventory tracking, our competitive intelligence data helps you stay ahead of competitor movement and understand why the market is changing, as it changes.
• Market Measurement: Monitor share changes down to the SKU and analyze how your consumers perceive your brand.