Numerous small businesses in Colorado have experienced a major impact from tariffs. Although some of these businesses are transferring the higher costs to their customers, a local liquor store is taking a different approach by lowering its prices on wines and alcoholic beverages.
At Mr. B’s Wine & Spirits, they’re committed to assisting their customers.
“We’re simply attempting to imagine what it’s like to be the customer, and if they keep noticing price increases, they might stop shopping with us,” said General Manager Ryan Corey.
They import goods from around the globe, such as Europe, Canada, and Mexico, each subject to additional taxes.
Corey mentioned that approximately 65% of their wine collection has been affected by tariffs, with over half of their items experiencing price increases during the last year.
“All have been impacted in some manner, at certain times, due to tariff hikes reaching up to 20%. These costs have been taken on by either us or the importers,” said Corey.
Rather than keeping the tariff expenses internal and charging customers, they are lowering prices.
“We’ve adopted a different method and examined nearly every product in the store, one bottle at a time, analyzing our profit margins and planning ways to reduce prices while maintaining a viable and thriving business,” said Corey, who noted that some wine bottles have seen price reductions ranging from $1 to $10.
In the meantime, at Blue Spruce Chocolates in Kittredge, owner Mark Joyce brings in the beans from Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia. However, he notes that rising cocoa costs and tariff effects are not as pleasant.
“When I purchase a bag of beans from our supplier these days, the invoice includes a separate line item for the tariff imposed on the beans. A bag of beans now costs 15% more than it did in January,” explained Joyce.
Joyce mentioned that the components needed to produce the chocolates have also been influenced by tariffs. He noted that they import their cocoa butter, vanilla, and even the packaging, all of which have been affected. Joyce stated that because of the higher expenses, the chocolate shop had no alternative but to increase its prices.
We simply can’t take on that amount; 15% is too high for a small business to handle. Therefore, we’ve had to transfer the cost of the tariffs to our customers,” said Joyce. “We are also very open with our customers about the price increases.
Although the liquor store is experiencing a slight decrease in profit due to lower prices, it is receiving positive feedback and expects to attract more customers as a result of this adjustment.
We can endure the pressures and competition from grocery stores and large retail chains, so small businesses like ours can continue to attract customers who choose to shop with us repeatedly,” said Corey. “We plan to reduce our prices and hope to make you feel more at ease with the products we offer on our shelves.
Corey mentioned that they started implementing the price cuts in early November, just before the holiday season, and these reductions will remain in effect permanently. He also noted that in December 2025, the store performed better than it did the previous year.