Joor CEO: Retail Is Reeling as ‘Uncertainty Kills Economies’

Retailers and brands in the United States and abroad are bracing for a turbulent back half of 2025.

Tariffs and their escalating impact on everything from sourcing to pricing strategy to consumer behavior are to blame.

“More expensive is where this is headed,” Kristin Savilia, CEO at Joor, a digital wholesale platform connecting over 14,000 brands with 600,000 buyers globally, told PYMNTS CEO Karen Webster.

Joor’s data predicts an industry-wide price hike of 20% on average, with 85% of brands and retailers indicating they will pass all or most of that cost to the end consumer.

“They’re not trying to take advantage of people at all,” Savilia said. “They’re trying to survive.”

The latest round of tariffs, which were steep and sudden, haven’t just created a pricing issue. They represent a structural challenge with no quick fix for an industry like fashion.

“One brand I spoke to, 90% of their production is in China,” Savilia said. “They start off behind the eight ball.”

For these businesses, rerouting their supply chain is not only costly but, ultimately, it is operationally near impossible in the short term.

The international response to tariffs is not exactly in America’s favor, either.

“Seventy-six percent of retailers outside the U.S. are saying they are not going to shop U.S. brands,” Savilia said. “This is not what was intended with these tariffs. The ability to just turn on a dime is not possible.”

Joor’s response includes ramping up its Discover tool, a feature allowing buyers to source products by geography, minimizing tariff impact, as well as a “Tariff Toolkit” designed to offer practical tools to help its network navigate volatility. The platform advises clients on targeted pricing, inventory management and sourcing shifts, which can be especially critical as non-U.S. retailers signal declining interest in U.S. goods.

“We’re guiding [clients] strategically,” Savilia said. “Do not take a 20% hike across the board. There are certain mental moves you can make in price increasing. You can go from $79 to $99 and probably not lose that many people, but you go from $95 to $115, and you’re going to really have a problem.”

Adding another layer of complexity is the consumer’s mood. While inflation has eased slightly, consumer behavior hasn’t rebounded.

“Whether you’re paycheck to paycheck because you’re spending your paycheck on lots of things that you want, or whether you are really trying to make ends meet — 80% of consumers are either buying less or buying cheaper,” Savilia said, adding that this hesitancy is rooted in more than just dollars and cents.

“Uncertainty kills economies,” she said. “You can’t be more uncertain than this — with the flip-flopping of policies. That is what’s hurting consumer sentiment for sure.”

One surprising development amid the industry’s upheaval is the resilience of independent retailers, she said. Year-to-date, 62% of Joor’s gross merchandise volume is being driven by these small players — up from 59% the previous year. This activity reflects a rush to stockpile inventory before even higher tariffs kick in, with retailers buying now to avoid getting priced out later.

“Our GMV is up 25% in April, and it’s being entirely driven by independents,” Savilia said. “Department stores are actually down in April.”

Still, many independent retailers face tighter cash flow constraints than their larger counterparts. Whether this buying spree will sustain their margins in the fourth quarter remains to be seen.

“If it’s a U.S.-based brand and a U.S. retailer, I think that they will be able to do business as usual,” Savilia said. “But remember, it has to be produced in America, too… There are very few brands who have a full supply chain, America to America.”

“They are going to be forced to raise prices,” she added. “There is nothing else that they can do.”

Despite the obstacles, Savilia said she remains focused on practical guidance, not panic.

“We’re trying to control the parts that we can control,” she said.

“This is an industry that survived COVID,” she added. “I’m seeing the resilience again. They want ideas. They want ways to get out of this. But they have to be smart about it. Increase prices strategically, and narrow your assortments to what’s going to bring you the most revenue so you can keep your business running.”

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