03/10/2025
Time for a shop update once again! I’ll jump right in. I’m sure you’ve heard about tariffs lately, and as much as I try to spare you the boring side of running a business, this is directly impacting our work.
A lot of the hardware we use is sourced from European companies. Up until now, smaller packages from overseas have been exempt from tariffs, but recently that exemption came to an end. Now we (along with many other dog gear shops) will have to pay duties on our hardware shipments. We cannot predict how much this will cost beforehand and neither can our hardware suppliers, we don’t find out until that package reaches US shores. This makes it incredibly difficult to plan supply orders, especially in a time where finances are tight for so many of us right now.
I could change my suppliers, but I’m really hoping not to. I’ve spent several years and many hours hunting down suppliers, combing through catalogs, and testing our products to find hardware that I trust, for gear I’m proud to offer to all of you, that is uniquely Wandering Dog’s style. Additionally, all of the US based hardware companies source their production from overseas, so there is still some impact on cost of materials even on our domestically sourced hardware.
We are trying extremely hard to persevere through this and keep costs low without sacrificing quality or cutting corners, even through the continually rising cost of materials. I have always run Wandering Dog Co with the core mission of keeping prices as reasonable as possible. But for the time being, I may have to pull a few products off of the website due to tariffs. This should only affect chain martingales, but we will make a more detailed post once we’ve assessed our inventory.
In addition, because the hard things seem to come in groups, I’ve been dealing with some recent health struggles. I’m okay, but currently navigating seemingly endless doctor’s appointments, which is proving to be a bit mentally and physically exhausting. I have a wonderful support system of family and friends who are able to help both in my personal life and with the shop, so for the time being, I am able to continue shop business as usual. I really appreciate everyone’s patience and understanding through all of this.
This definitely isn’t an easy time for small businesses to navigate but we are powering through as best as possible. Thank you so very much for supporting us through it all, it means more than words can say!
