British athleisure brand Tala has suspended a planned £5 million investment in the US after being blindsided by a sudden shift in American tariff policy, forcing the company to pull much of its product range from its US website to avoid delivery delays and unexpected customs charges for customers.
Chief executive Morgan Fowles said the company — which was founded in 2019 by influencer and entrepreneur Grace Beverley — had placed the United States at the centre of its international growth strategy, but has now had to put expansion plans “on ice”.
The decision follows the reintroduction of US trade tariffs on apparel sourced from Asia, which Fowles said created an unacceptable risk for customers and the brand’s reputation.
“It was really disappointing when we had to pull the products from the site,” Fowles said. “Our worst fear was that the customer would get hit by some crazy tariff bill, the product would get stuck in customs, and she’d never want to shop with us again.”
Tala’s supply chain currently includes manufacturing facilities in China and Vietnam, both of which are now subject to the renewed tariff regime under President Donald Trump’s second term. These trade barriers are proving especially disruptive for smaller, fast-growing brands that rely on lean international supply chains and direct-to-consumer ecommerce models.
“It’s a decent percentage of our range,” Fowles said. “If this continues to be an obstacle, then we might have to think about where we would move [production] to.”
The company had launched a dedicated US website, fulfilment infrastructure and a marketing push after securing £5 million in funding last year from a group of investors that included a backer of the fast-food chain Five Guys. But plans to scale in the US have been abruptly paused while the brand explores alternative logistics and sourcing options.
“We’re trying to figure out what we can do to get back online,” Fowles said. “I’m remaining reasonably optimistic there’ll be a resolution.”
While US growth is on hold, Tala is pushing ahead elsewhere. The brand opened its first UK store over the weekend on Carnaby Street in London’s Soho, following a successful launch in Dubai Mall and retail partnerships with Anthropologie.
Fowles said the move into physical retail was driven by a strong belief in the value of in-person shopping experiences, particularly as consumers become more selective.
“People love the experience of being inside a store and immersed in a brand,” she said. “There’s a lot of concern about consumer confidence globally at the moment, especially in the UK and the US. Customers are being more thoughtful around all of their purchasing decisions — especially ones that feel discretionary.”
Tala’s situation is emblematic of a growing number of British brands caught in the crossfire of US trade policy. For many, America remains a lucrative but volatile market. With tariff uncertainty clouding the horizon, brands like Tala may increasingly have to pivot their global strategies — or reshape their supply chains — to navigate a more protectionist world.