The Christmas conundrum: Retailers brace for delayed décor

Holiday décor orders have been placed and, fingers crossed, will arrive sometime before Christmas and not be prohibitively expensive. Retailers attending summer markets — last month in Dallas and this month in Atlanta and Las Vegas — said they plan to fill in the seasonal orders they placed in January, but compounding the issue are shipping delays, which means that holiday trim and décor, which usually starts arriving mid-summer, may not be delivered until the fall — if at all.

Tariffs have made the Christmas selling season a major question mark for many retailers, and a costly one, too — many admitted that their profitability will take a take a significant hit this year. But those that spoke with Home Accents Today said they are taking things in stride, hoping for the best, and are ready to deal with problems or issues as they arise.

Here’s how several independent home décor stores are approaching holiday selling this year:

Barbara Stewart Interiors

Christmas décor is big at Barbara Stewart Interiors in Bowling Green, Ky. It displays three thematic Christmas trees — usually a traditional tree; a fun, funky tree; and a tree with pet ornaments. It also carries Christopher Radko and Heartfully Yours glass ornaments.

“Yes, we will have an assortment this year. Christmas decorating is expected, tariffs or not,” said owner Susan Hoechner. “However, it will impact the bottom line because we will have to pass on the tariff charges.”

Hoechner has already made all her major Christmas purchases and plans to order fill-in products at summer markets. She knows the shipments will come in at a higher cost because of tariffs. “To remain viable, we’ll need to adjust our pricing, which may impact overall sales volume. It’s a delicate balance between offering beautiful products and managing rising costs,” she said.

And if holiday trim does not arrive in time, Hoechner said she will figure out Plan B. “We have a very creative team who I know can pull together a beautiful Christmas collection for our store. We’d definitely be calling on our talented local artisans and makers to curate one-of-a-kind pieces that reflect the spirit of the season. It wouldn’t be the plan we expected, but it might end up being even more meaningful.”

Bountiful Home, Easton, Md.

The holiday assortment at Bountiful Home, which is owned by interior designer Jamie Merida, is a blend of traditional and regional appeal. “We focus on three core themes: woodland and coastal, inspired by our local area; blue and white, which is synonymous with our store’s aesthetic; and traditional, which resonates with our customer base,” said Merida. “To create a memorable in-store experience, we always incorporate an over-the-top vignette — think large-scale displays, unique statement pieces, and a curated mix of gifts and ornaments.”

Merida placed 80% to 90% of his Christmas orders back in January, well in advance of the tariff announcements. “Since then, we’ve received mixed messaging from vendors who are still trying to navigate the implications. It’s been challenging to get clear answers as suppliers adjust to the evolving trade policies.”

Merida will do some buying at summer markets to round things out, but he said he expects his ultimate assortment will reflect market uncertainty.

“Christmas remains a cornerstone of our retail season, kicking off the first weekend of November. While our presentation will still reflect the festive spirit our customers expect, we’ll need to get a bit more creative this year,” he said. “Due to some unforeseen product availability and cost issues, our final displays may look different from our original buying vision.”

As for his bottom line, Merida said he based his seasonal budget and buying plan on last year’s sales. “If we’re unable to receive the inventory we originally selected — especially high-performing items — it could negatively impact our bottom line. We’re doing our best to adjust in real time while still delivering an exceptional holiday experience.”

Christopher Todd, Nashville

Designer Christopher Todd has changed his holiday assortment strategy. He used to have 14 fully decked-out trees in his prior Las Vegas store. But customers have conditioned themselves to buy holiday décor from him after Christmas at a discount, or buy directly from vendors who also sell goods at a heavily discounted price after Christmas. It was getting harder to compete, Todd said. So, in his new location in Nashville, he has scaled down his assortment.

This year, he got creative. “We have a long-standing partnership with Joy to the World Collectibles. They have been making custom glass-blown ornaments for me for the past 12 years. The company is based out of Knoxville and the owner Lisa and I came up with the idea for them to do a pop-up holiday shop in my store [featuring exclusive ornaments for Christoopher Todd].” Two of the custom ornaments are Tennessee-specific. The ornaments are made in Poland, which has a lower tariff than those coming in from China.

The other half of Todd’s Christmas business is decorating high-end client homes, and that remains steady with clients who are somewhat insulated from tariff concerns. “Those accounts won’t really be impacted by a price increase,” Todd said. “We usually sell the job as a total price instead of itemized items; therefore, the client will be receiving less for the dollar instead of spending more.”

Kenneth Ludwig Chicago

For the past three years, Kenneth Ludwig Chicago’s typical Christmas set-up has been a $50,000 budget with a full range of products — greens such as wreaths, garland, picks and premade florals; “set arounds” like Santas, reindeer and snowmen; stocked scented candles; tabletop entertaining items from vendors like Beatriz Ball, Vietri, Zodax and tag; and five decorated trees with themed ornaments.

Ludwig said he worked all through January to make sure all dated holiday orders were placed, mostly from vendors with Chinese-made goods. After the tariffs were first levied, the uncertainty began, Ludwig said. Communication from vendors included news of tariff surcharges, the inability to ship along normal timelines, or from some, the cancellation of orders all together. Although holiday orders usually arrive in late June through early July, “now it’s being quoted as September into October,” Ludwig said.

“Halloween is definitely delayed…so we have cut back almost half of what we will show and carry,” he said.  “We will cut back Christmas by half to two-thirds, replacing it with regular stocked products in our top-selling categories and making them more ‘gift giving.’  We plan on buying more decorative accessories with gold and silver colorways as fill-in, then we won’t have to discount as holiday at the end of the season.  We are stocking throws, pillows and linens that have a fall and holiday flair but are not necessarily Christmas themed.”

At summer markets, Ludwig will continue holiday buying, finding replacements for canceled orders and reductions from others. “I’m trying to look for more made-in-America and smaller resources, and again, bump up our best-selling categories.”

Ludwig said his bottom line will definitely take a hit. “It is going to affect sales for fourth quarter greatly since it’s such a busy time of year,” he said. “We are hoping we can stop the hemorrhage and make up as much sales as we can.”

J&B Home Décor

Christmas at J& B Home Décorin Elkhart, Ind., has always been an over-the-top winter wonderland with four different themed trees, holiday home décor, stocking stuffers and gifts, according to proprietor Brad Priest. Planning for that began in January at Las Vegas Market. In June, Priest typically reviews each order to make changes and adjustments, and last month, Priest said he would be checking in with each of his holiday vendors regarding pricing and whether products would be available to ship in September. “Their answers will definitely affect the actual order that I place,” he said. “If cost is too high then retail will be too high. We can’t expect our clients and shoppers to overpay for an item.”

J & B’s holiday assortment will debut on October 21 as planned. “Based on the new that arrives, pieces carried over from last season, and the year-round decor and gift items that I have to create with, my clients and shoppers will not be able to tell that anything is different for Christmas 2025.”

The fourth quarter is critical for any retailer hoping to finish a successful year, said Priest, who intends to go ahead with business as usual, which means private shopping parties, a holiday open house, special events “a smile with a positive, energetic atmosphere.”

Leon & Lulu, Clawson, Mich.

Mary Liz Curtin, owner of Leon & Lulu, had a “pretty hefty” seasonal order set by February. She bought ahead of schedule and dipped into savings to do so. Since then, she said, she has been playing the “beat the tariff game.” She has called every one of her vendor partners to check in on pricing and availability and has placed additional orders with her non-seasonal vendors to cover her bases.

“My open-to-buy is all wanked up — that’s a technical term,” she said. “I don’t know what I’m going to get, or when.

“We will have Christmas this year,” she said, then added, “I don’t know what we will be showing.”

Curtin starts displaying Christmas in August. Customers have varying opinions on that summer timing, she said. “Some complain, ‘Christmas so early?’ Others ask, ‘Where’s the Christmas?’ They are the ones with the dollars in their hands, so they win.”

Pricing, of course, is all over the place, and as prices fluctuate, Curtin says she finds herself “with a hundred million things to re-tag.” But she is empathetic about the situation vendors and fellow retailers find themselves in. “Everybody’s doing the best they can. We’re all in this together.”

Curtin says she considers herself lucky because she has the cash and the warehouse space to make a large buying investment. “Our position is always, ‘We’re selling from a full cart here. We will have the goods.’” But her profitability, she said, will be “seriously impacted.”

Mustard Seed Home, Blowing Rock, N.C.

Mustard Seed Home’s Christmas assortment includes decor, ornaments, gifts, greenery, ribbon, wreaths, roping (both real and faux), and live holiday plants.

“Christmas is a big season for us at the Mustard Seed,” said Madeline Stewart, director of marketing and merchandising. “The merchandising goal is to transform both stores into a holiday story so that when customers walk in, they feel like they’re walking into a curated, woodland version of Santa’s workshop in the mountains. It’s really magical and something we look forward to as a buying and merchandising team.”

Buying begins at the beginning of the year, when Mustard Seed gets a story or theme started, and wraps ups in Dallas in June or Atlanta in July. Stewart said she may also supplement her usual Christmas assortment with more everyday items in gold or silver that can transition into the holidays and work throughout the year.

“The good news is that many vendors have been transparent about the tariff surcharge going into effect this month,” she said. “We’ve received countless emails from sales reps and companies informing us of tariffs and how they will affect pricing. I’ve also noticed that the stock on items seems to be lower, and more items are unavailable, whereas in the past, it was easy to reorder. So, while the price point will be different, I am more concerned about getting the products shipped in time to go out for the holiday season.”

“Regardless of the tariffs, we are still going to do our best to create and curate the fall and holiday product assortment at both stores. We may buy less of an item, such as 12 units instead of 24 to compensate for the rise in cost. I think the goal for us is to continue business as usual and just be cognizant of the pricing when looking at certain items.

“If we are smart in buying quantities we know will move, then the bottom line should be fine,” Stewart added. “I plan to buy smart, stay curated and create fabulous displays. I can’t be scared to continue to grow our business and do what I love. Otherwise, the joy and passion of design will be replaced by fear and anxiety. Seasons change, and prices fluctuate, but the consistency of our brand and mission will remain the same … I’m continuing to be optimistic, doing what I love, and hoping for the best!”