RetailWire has a discussion on the growing trend of shopping for 'Made in the USA' items (based on a NY Times article). Among the reasons cited by consumers - safety issues with imported products, environmental concerns and even economic nationalism. This follows a period where the low price of imports made buying American-made products a relative luxury.

As one interviewee put it "consumers are looking to buy American goods because it provides them with the opportunity to enjoy guilt-free affluence." This includes not only the local food craze but also "things like American apparel, or Canadian diamonds instead of African 'blood diamonds,' or local-crafted toys."

While most goods are still imported, several brands are manufacturing in the US, although they have not reached the point of using this as a marketing message. They may be reconsidering this issue as "there is still a view held by many consumers that "Made Over There" equates to higher quality and buying U.S. products does not merit serious consideration."

Should brands start using Made in the USA as a differentatior? How will consumers respond? As always, the answer depends on many factors (location, retail vertical, etc.) The full discussion is on the RetailWire site.

Posted by Universal Ad