FERNDALE, Mich. (WXYZ) — It's been a stressful few months for John and Emily Murray, who own Modern Natural Baby in Ferndale.
VIDEO: Watch Jolie's full report below:
"Our whole thing was it's Modern Natural Baby, and we're not going to have anything from China," John Murray said.
But they say that wasn't possible. The couple runs a baby and toy store, and about 80 percent of their products come from China.
"I mean that's a big percentage. But China is where manufacturing is," Emily Murray said. "The United States doesn't have the capability to manufacture this stuff. It would be decades to create that."
The Murrays say Trump's tariffs on Chinese goods, which increased to 145% last month, has impacted them dramatically, causing them to raise prices on their most popular baby items.
Watch: Modern Natural Baby store owner talks about price increases
Their best-selling UppaBaby V3 stroller currently costs $900 but will soon jump to $1,200 due to the tariffs.
"That caught me off guard," said Marie Abro, who is six months pregnant and just starting to shop for essential items. "I think if I had known the prices were going to increase, I would have looked sooner for things."
The store is advising customers to buy now to avoid paying higher prices later. But the Murrays aren't just concerned about prices, they're also worried about potential supply issues.
"We've been panic buying," John Murray said.
They're "panic buying" because they're worried it will be harder to get products from China soon.
Interview: Watch the full interview with Jason Miller, a supply chain management expert, below:
Jason Miller, a professor of supply chain management at Michigan State University, says with importers reducing their orders from China, it could impact a store's inventory.
"What will really be felt is a lack of product variety," Miller said.
This means fewer options for customers the next time they shop, which is why he recommends acting quickly.
"If you are somebody, you're expecting your first child here, let's say in September or October, I wouldn't wait to buy that stroller, unless something changes," Miller said.
Professor Miller says it's important to weigh the possibility of a change in tariffs.
"So, for example, could the president come out and exclude items like this from the tariffs, realizing the negative effects for U.S. households," Miller said. "The reality is that for many types of goods, where we extensively source our needs from China, production is not shifting to other countries quickly because the ecosystem that supports these products would need to be recreated."
It's a lot for first-time parents to consider, but at Modern Natural Baby, which has already survived a recession and a pandemic, the business owners say they'll continue navigating these uncertain times.
"We haven't experienced anything quite like this," Emily Murray said.
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