Navigating Tariffs, Volatility, and Strategic Spend to Future Proof Your Workplace

Economic volatility is no longer a passing headline. It is the operating environment every workplace leader must navigate, and it demands a smarter, more strategic approach to managing programs like your office pantry.

In uncertain times, financial clarity and operational flexibility become essential, especially in areas like the workplace pantry, where the line between employee experience and cost control is often thin. To help companies better understand shifting factors like tariffs and how to build pantry programs that succeed in changing financial environments, we sat down with Crafty CFO Cam Lawrence.

Drawing on decades of experience leading finance at high-growth companies, Cam shares his perspective on why agility, visibility, and intentional pantry investment are more critical than ever for companies committed to delivering meaningful employee experiences without losing sight of the bottom line.

What Are Tariffs

At the simplest level, tariffs are taxes imposed on goods imported into the United States. But here is the reality: no one fully controls their supply chain. While some businesses may feel insulated from global shifts like tariffs, the reality is that few supply chains are truly self-contained. It’s worth understanding where exposure may exist, even indirectly.

Take a step back and consider it. Coffee beans are not grown in the vast landscapes of Arizona. Mango farms are not lining the Midwest. Even companies that grow and manufacture products domestically are often sourcing some or more of their ingredients, packaging, or parts internationally.

When tariffs are introduced, the cost of bringing those goods across the border increases. Those higher costs do not stop at the importer. They flow through every stage of the supply chain from distributors, retailers, and eventually to your office pantry program.

The key takeaway for companies is simple. Tariffs may not change your product list today, but they have the potential to drive up costs tomorrow. Smart leaders pay attention early, build flexibility into their programs, and stay ready to adapt when market conditions shift.

How Can Tariffs Impact Pantry Programs

There are two sides to this: the employee and employer perspectives.

For employees, your pantry program becomes even more valuable. As everyday prices rise due to broader economic pressures, providing consistent access to everyday needs such as snacks, beverages, produce, and beyond strengthens your total compensation package. It becomes a tangible, everyday benefit at a time when employees are feeling cost pressures at home. In a competitive labor market, that perception matters.

For employers, the immediate action is awareness, not alarm. In the food, beverage, and equipment sectors, much of the purchasing and contracting is negotiated months, if not a full year, in advance. If tariffs begin to impact costs materially, those changes will not be immediate. It takes time for pricing adjustments to work their way through the supply chain. Here are just a few categories that our team is keeping a close eye on when it comes to tariffs: 

• Coffee
• Tea 
• Chocolate-Based Products 
• Non-Seasonal Produce 

The key is to stay informed, understand your exposure, and ensure you have the visibility and flexibility to adjust as needed. Tariffs are one variable among many. What matters most is having a program designed to adapt without sacrificing the employee experience or financial discipline. Crafty’s real-time data infrastructure allows workplace teams to track spend as it happens, adjust to market changes, and make budgeting decisions with confidence, and not guesswork.

How Can Workplaces Set Up a Pantry Program For Long-Term Success

Whether it is tariffs, taxes, or any other economic shift, the single most important way to stay in control is through data.

You need clear, up-to-date visibility into your expenses, especially for dynamic programs like the pantry. Static reports delivered weeks later are no longer sufficient. In a volatile environment, leaders need timely, actionable insights to make informed decisions when they matter most.

That principle is what drew me to Crafty—a company building infrastructure that gives workplace teams the tools they need to manage dynamic costs without compromising on employee value. I have seen firsthand how much money companies leave on the table when financial issues are uncovered only after it is too late to course-correct. As a CFO, my responsibility is to maximize every dollar the company spends. Your pantry program is no exception.

Success starts with:

• Seeing your pantry spend as it happens
• Making adjustments quickly when market conditions shift
• Reconciling with precision to uncover savings opportunities, whether through tax advantages, healthcare offsets, or broader operational efficiencies

Financial discipline is not about cutting spending. It is about optimizing every investment. The right data infrastructure makes that possible.

How Can Companies Protect Their Employee Experience

First, don’t panic. A great employee experience isn’t defined by the cost of a single item, but shaped by thoughtful choices. Tightening budgets shouldn’t mean pulling back on what you offer, but rather being more intentional about how you offer it. When prices rise, the instinct may be to cut broadly, but a more effective response is to curate carefully, focusing on the items that deliver the most value to your team.

I understand that approaching your executive team with a proposal to invest in snacks or beverages can feel intimidating. You might expect them to default to cuts. But smart financial leadership is not about blanket reductions. It is about making sure every dollar drives real value.

Your company leaders aren’t simply looking to reduce costs. We’re looking for clarity and alignment. Demonstrate that you’re minimizing waste, reallocating spend toward what matters most, and strengthening employee performance and satisfaction, and you’ll have a finance partner who’s ready to support the strategy.

Protecting the employee experience is not about maintaining a long product list. It is about curating intentionally and aligning every decision to a larger purpose. When you approach it that way, you will always have a partner in your corner.

Are Tariffs the Only Risk

Not at all. Tariffs may be the headline today, but economic risks are constantly evolving. In any given quarter, it could just as easily be interest rate changes, inflation spikes, labor shortages, or supply chain disruptions driven by geopolitics or environmental events.

The broader reality is this: economic volatility is no longer the exception, but the operating environment.

The companies that succeed are the ones that build programs flexible enough to adapt without disrupting their people or blowing through their budgets. And that flexibility starts with visibility.

Knowing where and how you are spending is no longer a nice-to-have. It is critical infrastructure. Without access to real-time data, you cannot adjust quickly enough to protect your business or your employee experience when conditions change.

Advice to Workplaces Feeling Overwhelmed

Focus on what you can control.

Start by getting real visibility into your costs. Partner with vendors who are transparent, proactive, and willing to work with you. Build flexibility into your programs so you are ready to adapt when conditions change.

You do not need to predict every market shift. But you do need to put yourself in a position to respond quickly and strategically when change happens.

At Crafty, our role is to give you the tools, insights, and partnership to make that possible. We aim to be a partner that equips you to respond with agility and foresight — even when the future is uncertain.

Conclusion

At the end of the day, workplace success is not about predicting every economic shift. It is about building the systems, partnerships, and visibility that allow you to adapt to them.

The pantry is not just a perk, but a reflection of how intentionally your company invests in itself, including the people. With the right data infrastructure, the right partners, and a flexible strategy, companies can continue to deliver exceptional employee experiences even in times of uncertainty.

At Crafty, we are committed to giving our clients the tools and insights they need to navigate whatever comes next with confidence, clarity, and resilience.