Commerce Accelerated: Tariffs Edition – Issue #3

In this week’s issue, I’m unpacking Pacvue 's latest Amazon US data to uncover how enterprise brands are adjusting pricing, reallocating ad budgets, and reacting to early tariff pressures. Plus, hear directly from brands on how they’re responding to ongoing developments, get to know Helium 10 's new Tariff Analyzer feature, and catch up on recent headlines. 

Coming next: An executive POV on the evolving tariff landscape from some of Pacvue’s top partners, featuring insights, takeaways, and actionable tips for brands.  

Let’s dive in! But first...

An Off-the-Record Look at How Brands are Responding 

1. "We’ve mapped out a full contingency plan. If inventory tightens, we’ll start pulling back on lower-funnel retail media. But until we know the extent of the impact, we're holding steady."  

2. "Honestly, we see this as an opportunity. Most of our competitors manufacture in China, so we’re actually planning to increase our investment to capture more share while they scramble."  

3. "The uncertainty is real, but we haven’t been told to change course yet. Conversations are happening at higher levels, but for now we’re moving forward with our original ad plans."  

4. "We’re shifting focus toward our US-made products and deprioritizing all of our products that are hit hardest by tariffs." 

PACVUE’S TARIFF TRENDS & DATA REPORT 

Pacvue’s latest report analyzes Amazon US data to show how rising tariffs are influencing Average Selling Price (ASP) and Daily Ad Spend, with a spotlight on the most impacted categories: Electronics, Toys & Games, and Clothing, Shoes & Jewelry. 

 📅 Tariff Timeline: 

•  Feb 1: +10% tariff on China 

• Mar 3: China +10% (20% total); Mexico & Canada +25% 

• Apr 2: China +34% (54% total) 

• Apr 9: China now at 145% 

• May 2: De minimis exemption closed — now even low-cost accessories are taxed 

• May 12: For 90 days — US & China agree to reduce tariffs by 115 percentage points  

  🛒 These tariff shifts landed during several major eCommerce events: 

•  Valentine’s Day (Feb 14) 

• President’s Day Deals (Feb 15-19) 

• Amazon’s Big Spring Sale (Mar 25-31) 

Key Data Insights

1. Overall ASP & Spend 

ASP rose steadily from $27.69 (Week 5) to $30.45 (Week 19, +10%) as successive tariffs (10%, 20%, 54%, 145%, de minimis end) forced price hikes:

Daily Ad Spend peaked in Week 13 (Big Spring Sale), dipped post-tariffs, briefly rebounded a little in Week 16, and started to decline again by Week 19. 

2. Electronics ASP & Spend 

Electronics ASP jumped from $92.47 (Week 5) to $102.76 (Week 19, +11%) following tariff increases and de minimis removal. 

Daily Ad Spend spiked in Week 7 (Valentine’s Day) and in Week 13 (Amazon Big Spring Sale), then fell 24% by Week 19 as brands tightened advertising budgets amid tariff pressure. Seasonal events really drove the spikes as brands increased ad spends for seasonal events.

3. Toys & Games ASP & Spend 

Removal of the de minimis exemption (Week 18) notably pushed Toys ASP higher, rising from $19.05 during the Big Spring Sale (Week 13) to $23.07 by Week 19 (+21%), reflecting immediate cost impact. 

Daily Ad Spend had a bit of a different curve than other categories - showing a steady increase but then sharp decline (-17%) by Week 17, showing merchants scaling back advertising to adjust strategies under higher tariffs and lower inventory levels. 

 4. Clothing, Shoes & Jewelry ASP & Spend 

ASP peaked right after Valentine's Day then returned to similar W1 levels:

Valentine's day had less of an impact to daily ad spend but peaked for the Amazon big Spring Sale:

Helium 10’s New Tariff Analyzer 

Helium 10 just launched a new Tariff Analyzer feature that gives sellers a clear view of how tariffs impact profitability at the product level in just a few clicks—helping them adjust pricing and sourcing to best fit their strategy and remain profitable in a shifting landscape.  

Learn more at www.helium10.com 

Tariffs in the News 

1. China and the U.S. Hit the Snooze Button on Tariffs – Anders Palmquist , VP, Marketplaces & Retail Media, Hawke Media

“There is a collective deep breath for brands producing their products in China, with a 90-day reprieve of the 145% tariff. Instead a 30% import tariff will be levied on Chinese imports (and a 10% import duty on US imports to China).” 

Full Post: HERE 

2. US-China Pause Buys Shein & Temu Time to Restock US Inventory – Reuters

“The Chinese firms, which have taken market share from dollar stores and mall rivals to surge to among the top ten downloaded apps in the U.S., will likely use the 90-day reprieve to bring in bulk shipments and restock their U.S. warehouses.” 

Full Story: HERE 

3. Prime Day 2025: Brands are Pulling Back – Kiri Masters , Retail Analyst and Contributor, Forbes  

“Why are brands pulling back? New tariff costs (or uncertainty) making discounts financially unfeasible.” 

Full Post: HERE 

4. Just Paid Our First Tariffs — Yikes!  – Joshua Ketter , Global CEO, Spreetail

“And it's not small either, it's in the millions... and if we changed nothing, it would be $300M+.” 

Full Post: HERE 

5. Consumers Trade Down on Amazon – John T. Shea , Founder & CEO, Momentum Commerce

“We’re seeing the return of two major patterns on Amazon: 

 📉 Consumers are trading down  📦 Some categories are showing stockpiling behavior” 

Full Post: HERE 

6. Tariff Price Hikes Drive Away US Shoppers – Zia Daniell Wigder , Chief Content Officer, EMARKETER

“It's important to remember, however, that these players have broad global footprints and a stronghold in markets well beyond the US. Buyers in these other markets won't be affected by the US's elimination of the $800 de minimis exemption.” 

Full Post: HERE