Rising Costs and Tariffs: The Struggles of Black-Owned Hair Salons and Beauty Supply Stores
Title: Rising Tariffs Hit Black-Owned Beauty Businesses Hard
PHILADELPHIA/SYMRNA, Georgia — As summer unfolded, Dajiah Blackshear-Calloway, owner of a bustling hair salon in Smyrna, Georgia, noticed a troubling trend: her regular clients were visiting less frequently. The salon, which offers a range of services from $50 natural hairstyles to $745 tape-in weave extensions, has been grappling with the fallout from rising costs due to tariffs imposed by the Trump administration on imports from China and Vietnam—countries that supply the majority of Black beauty products.
The price of essential materials has skyrocketed. A package of hair imported from Vietnam has surged from $190 to $290 since May, while a bottle of hair glue from China has jumped from $8 to $14.99. “We’re being impacted at every level,” said Blackshear-Calloway. “I’m either having to eat that cost or pass that expense along to my clients, which affects their budgets and their pockets as well.”
To mitigate the impact, she has started asking clients to bring their own hair for appointments, introducing a new service that offers quick weaves without hair for $140, compared to $400 with hair. However, supply chain issues persist, with delays from her wholesaler complicating matters further.
In Philadelphia, Kadidja Dosso, owner of Dosso Beauty and The Dosso Hair Salon, faces similar challenges. After waiting over a month for a $50,000 shipment of braiding hair from China, she is reluctant to raise prices on her $13 packets, which customers typically buy in bulk. “We have to provide more specifics of the products for it to clear customs,” Dosso explained, highlighting the bureaucratic hurdles exacerbated by the tariffs.
Experts like Andre Perry from the Brookings Institution note that these tariffs disproportionately affect Black entrepreneurs, who often start with less wealth and operate in low-margin businesses. “The wealth gap puts Black entrepreneurs into precarious financial positions as tariffs eat into their bottom lines,” Perry said.
The impact is felt across the industry. Diann Valentine, founder of Slayyy Hair, reported a staggering $300,000 bill to retrieve 26,000 units of braiding hair from the Los Angeles port. “To lose that kind of money at this stage has been devastating,” she said, noting that she has raised prices by 20% and laid off staff to cope with the financial strain.
Despite the resilience of beauty product sales during economic downturns, beauty services are often viewed as discretionary. Marley Brocker, a senior analyst at IBISWorld, emphasized that rising costs due to tariffs will directly affect service providers, whether they are buying from overseas manufacturers or U.S. wholesalers.
Black consumers spent approximately $2.29 billion on hair care products in 2022, but rising prices are leading many to cut back on salon visits. Deiara Frye, a 27-year-old from Raleigh, North Carolina, shared her experience: “Due to the cost of everything rising, I tend to get braids a little more often now than sew-ins.”
The ripple effects of these tariffs are evident in the struggles of local beauty supply stores. Dionne Maxwell, who previously operated a mini beauty supply store in Dallas, Georgia, has had to shut down her physical location due to declining foot traffic and has moved operations into her home. “We don’t have the money for advertising because enough revenue is not coming in,” she lamented.
As the beauty industry grapples with these challenges, the future remains uncertain for many Black-owned businesses. The ongoing tariff situation serves as a stark reminder of the interconnectedness of global trade and local economies, with the potential to reshape the landscape of beauty services in America.
