Charlene and Phil Willingham want to buy new kitchen appliances. Their old ones are 20 years old. They decided to shop now because prices might go up soon. The Willinghams are both retired. They went to a store in the Chicago area on Friday. They wanted to buy a stove, refrigerator, microwave, and dishwasher.
“We wanted to wait, but now with the new tariffs, I want to buy these appliances before they get more expensive,” said Ms. Willingham, 64, while at Abt Electronics in Glenview, Illinois.
Many people are worried about prices. This weekend, many shoppers tried to buy items before the tariffs take effect. Some bought more groceries and essentials.
“I feel the need to stock up,” said Shali Santos, 28, after buying water and soap at Costco in Los Angeles.
Other shoppers were calm. They felt good about the future and did not change their shopping plans. They believe that things will get better.
“I think prices will go down again,” said Gregg Harris, 61, while shopping for food at Walmart in Nashville.
Vocabulary List:
- Tariffs /ˈtær.ɪfs/ (noun): Taxes imposed by a government on imported goods.
- Appliances /əˈplaɪ.ən.sɪz/ (noun): Devices or machines used to perform specific tasks typically in the home.
- Essentials /ɪˈsen.ʃəlz/ (noun): Basic items that are necessary for daily life.
- Stock up /stɒk ʌp/ (verb): To buy and store a large quantity of something.
- Worried /ˈwʌr.id/ (adjective): Feeling anxious or concerned about something.
- Shoppers /ˈʃɒp.ərz/ (noun): People who are shopping or looking to buy goods.
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