Small Businesses in England Dealing With Tariffs, GPSR Changes During Holidays

By Sierra Campbell, Managing Editor of small.news

(small.news) — The owners of a small business in Warwickshire, a ceremonial county in England, have urged consumers to not forget about small businesses this holiday season.

The Mindful Emporium gift shop, owned by Harley and Rob Mason, sells crystals, essential oils, incense, and more. Rob told the BBC that changes to regulations in the EU and tariffs in the U.S. have forced them to depend on local trade more than exports.

Harley even posted a video to social media to urge followers not to forget about small businesses, especially during the holidays, which small businesses around the world rely on.

“It was a call out to speak to the people in the local area. We very easily get into our own bubble and shop online… for them to remember that there’s some amazing small businesses out there,” she explained.

President Donald Trump’s Tariffs, GPSR Regulations Bringing Difficulties

The Mindful Emporium has traded for three years, but changes brought on by President Donald Trump’s tariffs have affected what can be shipped to the United States. Rob said, “Everything international at the moment, it’s just up in the air, for goods going into the American market it’s proving more and more difficult, because we supply goods from all over the world.”

New rules on selling to customers in Europe have also affected them, according to the BBC. In 2024, the General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR) was put into place, with the goal of making sure buyers in the EU and Northern Ireland are being sold safe products. It also includes specific requirements for product safety information that is needed.

However, those changes have made it difficult for businesses like The Mindful Emporium. Rob explained, “It happened in the EU as well, the new GPSR regulations came into force last December and a lot of small businesses, to keep up with the regulations and ship into the EU market, it’s just not feasible.”

Federation of Small Businesses Survey Finds Confidence Levels Low

A quarterly survey conducted by the Federation of Small Businesses found that the Masons aren’t alone. Confidence levels were found to be at an all-time low for independent traders.

Ian O’Donnell, the deputy chair of policy at the Federation of Small Businesses, said, “Retail and hospitality are two of those that are finding their business confidence at rock bottom.”

O’Donnell also said small businesses like The Mindful Emporium are finding it hard to compete with bigger companies. “[They’re] facing the challenges of obviously local economic pressures but also global economic pressures and the challenges of very large e-commerce based businesses who are able to challenge them in a way that they can’t match.”

In another blow for small businesses, the government recently announced its Budget, which increased the country’s tax take to the highest it’s ever been. However, the Office for Budget Responsibility, claimed that the measures would have no impact on its forecasts for the growth of the economy.