(Adobe Stock via Minnesota News Connection)
(By Mike Moen. Minnesota News Connection) – As they gear up for holiday shopping, new polling shows a majority of Americans find the “Made in USA” label appealing. But a Minnesota company says there’s still a gap in translating those feelings into broad customer loyalty. In a survey commissioned by the Alliance for American Manufacturing, 81% of respondents said they’re likely to buy American-made products this year. A similar majority said they’d take that step if domestically produced gifts were more widely available.
Ken Matheson, founder of Minnesota based d’ears, a family-owned jewelry maker featured in the Alliance’s latest “Made in USA” guide, said it’s hard to compete as shoppers look online for deals for things made overseas.
“It is a tough situation because people do have a very tight budget, but the reality is if we keep giving everything away to foreign companies, we’re not gonna have an ability to manufacture here,” he explained.
Matheson’s business does have an online presence, but the Alliance notes Made in America companies typically don’t have the same ad spending power that importers do. Survey respondents say their primary reasons for supporting domestic products are boosting the U.S. economy and creating American jobs. Matheson said propping up local companies also allows them to give back to their communities through charitable causes.
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