L.A.'s Oldest Toy Store Sees Struggles Ahead Due to Tariffs
President Donald Trump's tariffs on Chinese imports have been reduced from 145% to 30% in recent weeks, but businesses are still feeling the effects, and it's not just big retail outlets or online shopping portals. The tariffs are on track to threaten the livelihood of mom & pop shops across the nation. Here in Los Angeles, the city's oldest toy shop, Kip's Toyland at the Farmer's Market on Fairfax, has been ringing the alarm bells. Owner Don Kipper recently told CNN that he's received letters from suppliers about price increases and the need for bulk ordering. More than 80% of toys sold in the United States are made in China, and while Trump has been consistent about his views that it won't be a big deal for consumers, and that girls will 'maybe have two dolls instead of 30,' the impact on merchants could be massive, whether they hike up prices to set off costs or keep price tags the same and take in smaller profits. The US imported about $13.4 billion in toys from China last year, according to the US Commerce Department, and while many think of Chinese products as low quality, that's not always the case. Kipper's inventory, which comes mostly from China, includes a whimsical array of vintage style metal toys, colorful educational toys and kid-coveted top brands like Lego, Wham-O, Slinky, View-master and Mattel.Sadly, Kipper tells CNN that small businesses like his can't afford to stock up and even if he could, his store doesn't have room for large amounts of inventory.Kipper adds some of his suppliers are halting their production lines altogether which will definitely affect the holiday season to come in terms of quantity and selection. Indeed, Christmas may not be so merry this year— for stores or moms and dads trying fulfill their kids' wishlists and letters to Santa. LA mag reached out to Kipper by email to see if the recently announced tariff reductions might help matters, but hadn't heard back at the time of this post.Learn more about the deep history of Kip's, a family owned and operated business since 1945, in this informative "LA in a Minute" report, below.
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