SPOKANE, Wash. ---- The holiday season is here, and toy stores have been preparing for months.

This year, Toyland at the General Store secured its holiday inventory much earlier than usual to avoid the impact of overseas tariffs.

Anticipating price spikes of 80 to 100 percent from tariffs imposed on international goods, .

The store’s early stocking strategy meant inventory arrived well before the holiday rush, filling storage and shelves with toys.

“Everything came in for the most part in May, June, July," said Tom Barany, co-owner of the General Store. "Stuff was stacked sky high.”

This approach paid off, with toy sales up 75 percent over last year, helped by trends such as the Pokémon craze.

“We were surprised by the benefits of doing this," Barany said.

Shoppers have felt the pin

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