Inside America’s department stores, tariff price hikes pick up

The impact of President Donald Trump‘s tariffs on prices throughout the economy is expected to increase over the summer. At U.S. department store chains including Macy’s, Nordstrom, and Dillard’s, the evidence of sticker price inflation is starting to show up across more items.

Recent price increases in apparel, footwear, and bags across major U.S. department-store websites tracked by DataWeave indicate a turning point in May, when prices started their ascent.

DataWeave analyzes nearly 15,000 SKUs (stock keeping units), a scannable code retailers use to identify and track a product, and has been collecting that data from January to June for signs of price hikes in footwear, apparel, and bags.

“Footwear is now as much as 4% above January levels at some banners, while apparel is roughly half that pace,” said Karthik Bettadapura, co-founder & CEO of DataWeave.

According to the data, Macy’s 1589 SKUs of footwear reported a 4.2% increase in price, followed by Nordstrom (3.1%), and Dillard’s (2%.)

Prices in store may vary slightly from online prices, but typically follow the same pricing trend.

Type of product and its sourcing can influence how fast the price hikes arrive.

Private-label lines, many of which are made in China, refresh every few months, so retailers like Macy’s and Nordstrom feel higher landed costs sooner, according to Bettadapura. Footwear reacts fastest because it carries some of the steepest baseline duties and relies heavily on China for finished pairs. “Even a modest levy can ripple through quickly once fresh stock lands in distribution centers,” Bettadapura said. Apparel, with longer design cycles and a more diversified supply base, “is moving more gradually,” she added.

Macy’s, Nordstrom and Dillard’s did not respond to requests for comment.

The SKU data supports findings from a recent survey conducted by the Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America, where 55% of respondents said they expect their average retail price to rise between 6%-10% in 2025 as a result of tariffs.

“With all back-to-school styles now facing tariffs of between 10-30 percent, higher prices should not be a surprise this summer,” said Stephen Lamar, CEO of the American Apparel and Footwear Association. “While each company makes their own decisions, these tariff costs are now being felt across the board,” he said.

In apparel, DSW topped the list in recent price increases, at 2%, followed by Macy’s (1.9%), and Nordstrom (1.8%), according to Dataweave.

“If these tariffs persist or increase after July 9, we can expect more of the same in the seasons to come,” Lamar said.

In the bags category (which includes handbags & shoulder bags, crossbody, sling and belt bags, totes, backpacks, travel & duffel bags, small goods and clutches), outdoor recreation store REI had the top price increase, at 2.6% Dillard’s, Macy’s, and Nordstrom all had…