If you manufacture uniforms, sell uniforms, or supply uniforms to public agencies, you’re probably already chewing your nails about 2026. Why? Because between tariff uncertainty, inflation that acts like a bad roommate (never quite moving out), and the delicate dance of multi-year contracts with budget-conscious agencies, pricing strategy isn’t just math—it’s survival.

Let’s face it: in this industry, margins aren’t exactly plump. Every penny you miss on forecasting costs can get magnified across thousands of shirts, boots, or tactical pants. And if you’re locking into multi-year bids for public service programs, those pennies don’t just add up—they multiply like rabbits. So how do we plan pricing for 2026 without resorting to tarot cards or asking ChatGPT to whisper economic prophecies?

Start with Scenarios, Not Certainties

The biggest mistake is pretending you know exactly what tariffs or inflation will look like in two years. You don’t. I don’t. The people in Washington don’t. What you can do is build scenario models: best case, worst case, and somewhere in between.

Think of it like packing for a trip when you don’t know the weather. You bring a jacket, you bring sunscreen, and you hope you don’t need both at once. Uniform manufacturers should be running cost models that show what happens if tariffs rise by 10%, stay flat, or (miracle of miracles) go down. Same with inflation—what does your raw material and labor cost look like under each version of the future?

The goal isn’t to guess right. It’s to be prepared for whichever version of the future shows up.

Contracts Aren’t Just Paper, They’re Shields

Public service agencies like predictability. They want to know their budgets won’t explode halfway through a contract because of a polyester price spike. But you need protection, too. This is where contract language becomes the unsung hero.

Consider escalation clauses—those quiet little lines that allow for price adjustments tied to a public index like the Consumer Price Index (CPI) or a specific materials index. They aren’t glamorous, but they let you cover your costs without going back hat-in-hand to a city procurement office. If you don’t already fight for these clauses, start practicing now. They’re the Kevlar vest of pricing.

At the same time, beware of contracts that force you into long, rigid price locks with no adjustment leeway. Agencies may love the stability, but it’s like volunteering to wrestle a bear—you might hold your own for a while, but eventually, the bear (inflation, tariffs, supply chain shocks) wins.

Educate the Buyers

Here’s the delicate part: many public service buyers don’t want to hear about your cost problems. Their job is to stretch tax dollars. But if you explain the reality early and clearly—without whining—you can build trust.

Say you’re a dealer bidding on a sheriff’s department uniform contract. If you highlight that your proposal includes a CPI-based adjustment, not because you want to gouge them but because it protects both sides from market chaos, it positions you as a partner, not a vendor. Agencies don’t like surprises. They do like vendors who can explain why a little flexibility now saves everyone headaches later.

Spread the Risk

Manufacturers and dealers can also diversify their risk by balancing contract portfolios. Don’t let your entire business hinge on multi-year public service contracts with thin margins and no adjustment clauses. Pair those with shorter-term deals, private sector accounts, or product lines less vulnerable to global supply swings.

It’s like investing: you wouldn’t (hopefully) dump your entire retirement fund into a single cryptocurrency. Don’t do the same with uniforms.

Keep an Eye on Tech and Trends

Pricing isn’t just about costs—it’s also about value perception. Agencies are under the same inflation pressures you are, but they’ll pay for durability, performance, or efficiency if you can prove long-term savings. A slightly higher-priced uniform that lasts a year longer can be an easier sell than the cheapest option that needs replacing twice as fast.

Lean on data here. If your new duty boots cut replacement rates by 15%, bake that into your pitch. The math of value is often more persuasive than the math of cost.

Don’t Panic, Plan

Yes, 2026 looks like a storm cloud of “what ifs.” But the answer isn’t panic pricing. It’s discipline. Scenario planning. Smarter contracts. Clear communication. Diversification. And reminding ourselves that public agencies aren’t out to squeeze the life out of uniform suppliers—they just need partners who think ahead as much as they do.

If the last few years taught us anything, it’s that surprises are inevitable. Tariffs flip like pancakes. Inflation rises and falls with the grace of a rollercoaster. Supply chains get cranky. The winners in 2026 won’t be the ones who guessed perfectly. They’ll be the ones who planned flexibly.

And if all else fails, remember: uniforms may change, tariffs may wobble, inflation may roar—but polyester will always find a way to get wrinkled at the worst possible time. Some things are just constants in the universe.