As tariffs drive up prices, the consumer electronics rebound stalls. In stores like Apple, empty aisles are becoming a symbol of a broader ecommerce slowdown.
Apple, Best Buy, and Anker brace for impact as tariffs squeeze margins and delay consumer spending.
The short version: Electronics ecommerce is in trouble (again)
After two years of negative growth, online Consumer Electronics sales were just starting to rebound in 2025. But a new wave of tariffs—announced April 2 by Trump and met with immediate retaliation from China—has thrown a wrench in the recovery.
Now, major players like Apple and Best Buy are waving red flags about rising costs and shaken supply chains, and Chinese manufacturers like Anker are already raising prices on Amazon.
This matters. A lot.
Consumer Electronics is one of ecommerce’s biggest and most price-sensitive verticals. When prices go up, shoppers get cold feet—and they’re already starting to wait for Cyber 5, Prime Day, and Walmart Deals to pull the trigger.
Best Buy and Apple: Caught in the tariff crossfire
Both Best Buy and Apple made it clear—tariffs are hitting where it hurts:
🛠️ Best Buy’s CEO, Corie Barry, told investors in March that their supply chain depends on China and Mexico and that “international trade is critically important to our business.” Source
🍎 Apple, meanwhile, dropped a SEC filing bombshell warning that tariffs could force them to raise prices, restructure supply chains, and even stop selling certain products if manufacturing costs keep climbing.
And per Rosenblatt Securities, Apple may have to raise iPhone and Apple Watch prices by 43%. That’s not a typo.
Price pressure is flipping the ecommerce playbook
A new Ecommerce Pulse Report from Salsify and the Digital Shelf Institute lays out how shopper behavior is shifting:
📉 53% of shoppers are delaying purchases until major promo events
📱 59% shop on mobile—your listings better convert on a 6-inch screen
💸 70% say discounts trigger unplanned buys more than brand loyalty
🔍 44% compare prices across 3+ retailers before hitting “buy”
⭐ Reviews > Price for 25% of buyers. Trust wins.
The bottom line? Brands can’t just cut price and pray. They need to win on trust, urgency, and app-based convenience—especially as the cost of goods could rise 11% this year from tariff impact alone.
📊 Web sales performance by year: Best Buy vs Apple (2019–2025)
| Year | Best Buy Web Sales | YoY Growth | Apple Web Sales | YoY Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | $7.64B | +17.0% | $20.89B | — |
| 2020 | $18.67B | +144.5% | $19.78B | -5.3% |
| 2021 | $16.43B | -12.0% | $33.96B | +71.6% |
| 2022 | $13.10B | -20.3% | $32.97B | -2.9% |
| 2023 | $12.59B | -3.9% | $34.08B | +3.4% |
| 2024 | $12.04B | -4.3% | $34.98B | +2.6% |
| 2025* | — | — | — | — |
📝 *2025 projections not yet finalized in the source data for either retailer.
Operator POV: This isn’t just about tariffs—it’s about agility
Sure, tariffs suck. But the bigger problem? Most brands aren’t agile enough to adapt.
📦 Still relying on China-only manufacturing? That’s a risk multiplier.
📊 Not tracking real-time price competitiveness across channels? You’re blind.
🛒 No mobile-first or app-based strategy? You’re invisible to 69% of shoppers.
🧾 Ignoring reviews and social proof? You’re toast.
Meanwhile, nimble brands are already pivoting: diversifying suppliers, leaning into urgency-based promos, and tripling down on content that builds trust.
That’s the new ecommerce muscle—adapt or get eaten.
Final take: Tariffs are the spark, but lagging strategies are the fuel
Consumer Electronics ecommerce didn’t just get hit by tariffs—it got exposed.
The winners? Brands that can pivot pricing, content, and channel strategy in real-time, without waiting for the next board meeting or quarterly review.
The losers? The ones still acting like it’s 2019.
