CLEARWATER, Fla. — Many businesses are turning to alternative ways to handle the increased uncertainty of United States tariff policy as world leaders still work to create trade agreements with President Donald Trump.

Robert's Christmas Wonderland is already ordering key supplies they need for the upcoming holiday season in an attempt to lock in costs before they increase. 

Rita Frank and her husband Robert, who has since passed away, opened the store on Gulf to Bay Blvd 53 years ago after moving to Florida from New York.

She likes to curate her shop’s offerings in a way that can make it more difficult to find inventory.

“A lot of people go into a shop and say, ‘I like that tree. I want everything that’s on it.’ Well, we don’t do that. We say, ‘I like this flamingo from this supplier, this flamingo from that supplier,’” Frank said, pointing to a 10-foot Christmas tree decorated with pink flamingos in every shape and size.

First, Frank likes to come up with a theme for a tree. Then she finds the suppliers that have what she wants and places her orders. Oftentimes, that means ordering from up to seven different suppliers. But unfortunately, she doesn’t have that luxury this year.

“All the empty spaces. We have a gondola around the corner that’s empty. They’re not bringing it in because of the tariffs,” she said.

Some of her options are limited, but five decades in, the business has taught Frank one very important thing: the importance of thinking ahead.

“These are all brand new items that we have purchased before the tariffs," she said. "I went in January when I heard tariff."

While some shelves remain empty and some trees unadorned, she and her son are in a better position than many others.

“Usually, we would put in our orders over the summer. In July," Josh Frank said. "But this year, we put them in in January and February. We’ve had deliveries and more are coming in every day."

But Josh said he won’t be surprised if deliveries arrive much later, especially for stores that haven’t placed their orders yet.

And Rita said a lot of it depends on the importers.

“The importers in some cases have tried to grab it, but at 140-something percent they can’t," she said.

And she can’t either

“A little item, it was $8 and with a 147% tariff it’s going to be close to $20, and I said we can’t bring them in,” she said.

And she doesn’t want to pass that cost onto her customers.

“I can’t do that to my customers, some who are my friends,” she said.

Rita said there was only one other time in her life when she felt this level of uncertainty. It was the energy crisis in 1973 when President Richard Nixon went on television and asked Americans to reduce their energy usage.

“I said, 'What are we going to do with all these lights? No one is buying them.' My husband said, ‘Honey if we don’t sell them this year, we will next year,’" she said. "I said, 'Will we still be in business?' Which is, I’m sure, what everyone in the industry is wondering. Or am I going to be one of the ones that goes by the wayside?"