Purchasing agents with strong vendor relationships are more important than ever

by mint pillow, apr 16, 2025

With tariffs fluctuating and global supply chains in flux, hotel owners face more uncertainty than ever when budgeting and planning for FF&E. Alan Benjamin(Benjamin West) offers practical advice on tariffs, timelines, vendor selection and why precision on both the design and purchasing sides has never mattered more in this politically fraught moment. 

1.No cost is going down. Who knows what tariffs will be in effect 30 days, 60 days, let alone four or five months out? So it makes the budgeting process more difficult. The way designers design and the way purchasers purchase is going to become even more critical, particularly on the functionality of the products and of the content of the products. 

2.Add 10% contingency to the budget due to inflation and higher construction costs. Now. Add more now. 

3.The biggest challenge is finding the right vendors who can offer the right balance of price, quality, lead time and reliability. With the shifting landscape of tariffs and supply chain disruptions, some vendors who were previously only focused on residential or commercial goods may now be entering the hospitality space, but their longevity in the market remains uncertain. Purchasing agents with strong vendor relationships are more important than ever. Larger vendors with robust financial backing are more capable of absorbing the cost and time fluctuations caused by tariffs and other disruptions. The role of the purchasing agent has never been more vital. Firms like ours are getting some tariff relief and assurance from vendors that small or one-off buyers aren’t. That matters in times of volatility.