Arlington's Decorators Warehouse braces for impact amid rising import costs

CBS News

02-08-2025

As new U.S. tariffs are set to take effect next week — raising rates as high as 40% for dozens of trading partners — small businesses across Texas are preparing for the fallout. Among them is Decorators Warehouse, a long-running holiday décor destination in Arlington.
Inside the store, customers are greeted by an explosion of ornaments, wreaths, and festive displays.
"It's fabulous. I'm like a kid in a candy store," one shopper said, echoing the sentiment of many who visit the store year-round.
But behind the sparkle and cheer, owner David Hanson is facing a growing challenge. "The uncertainty around that has been very, very hard," Hanson told CBS News Texas. He said tariffs touch every corner of his business, which sources nearly all of its products from overseas.
"Almost all of it comes from every country in the world," Hanson said. "We get it out of the Far East, we get it out of Europe, comes out of the Philippines, China—you name it."
The financial impact is already being felt. "This container of lights cost me $150,000. Now I add a 30% tariff to that—I'm immediately paying $45,000 more than I ever paid," Hanson explained. "I hear it all the time: 'Well, I'm not paying the tariffs, China is.' They are not paying the tariff. I am paying the tariff. As soon as it hits the United States, I pay the tariff."
Hanson said the burden doesn't stop with business owners.
"You do. I do. Our families do," Hanson said. "And there's no way around that. At some point, you simply can't eat it all."
Carletta Wilson, a designer from Arkansas and a frequent customer, said the uncertainty is affecting more than just retailers.
"This is my happy place. This is where I spend hours," she said.
Wilson worries about the broader economic impact.
"The thing that's going to be extra devastating is the job loss that's happening all over," she said. "If customers cannot afford our items, no matter how much we price them at, that's where it's going to be devastating even more to all of us."
"As the tariffs increase, our costs increase. People are losing their jobs. It's going to be a choice whether to pick it up or not. Because people are worried."
To get ahead of the uncertainty, Hanson placed orders for this year's holiday season last September. For now, he said, Decorators Warehouse will not pass along tariff-related price hikes to customers.
"We have people that are nervous. They're a little uncertain," Hanson said. "We're here to help them have a good year. So that's our approach to everything."
Still, Hanson knows the relief may be temporary. "I deal with the uncertainty to give you the holiday cheer," he said. "That's a good way to put it. I like that a lot."