One in five Americans have said they are purchasing more items than usual primarily due to concerns over President Donald Trump’s tariffs, a CreditCards.com report showed Tuesday, reflecting heightened consumer anxiety over potential price hikes and economic uncertainty.
For consumers, the fear of rising prices often fuels stockpiling behavior, particularly of non-perishable food, toilet paper and medical supplies, as they rush to buy goods before costs escalate further.
Tariffs tend to be inflationary because they raise the cost of imported goods, prompting businesses to either absorb the higher expenses or pass them on to consumers through price increases.