Things to Consider: Why “Made in America” Matters By Jess Schmidt

{Sponsored} As a generational shift happens in consumers, so to do the overall retail trends and buying habits. One particular trend retailers need to be paying attention to is the increasing demand for products made in the U.S. Millennials seem to be leading the charge — where the story behind the product is one of its most important selling factors. Retailers should take note.

A number of studies have found that consumers — up to 80 percent of them — are more likely to buy a product labeled “Made in the U.S.” than a similar product made abroad. Some studies have even found that consumers are willing to pay more for those products.

So much of current news revolves around jobs, job creation and unemployment rates at the state and national levels. Pundits often talk about job creation and how current national and state leadership will go about expanding manufacturing in the U.S.

Changing mindsets and habits of retailers to sell high-quality American-made goods is the solution to these issues.

By creating more jobs manufacturing 100% American-made goods, the jobless rate can decrease dramatically — perhaps to all-time lows. Making more goods in the U.S. can sustain the American jobs solution. And turning to American-based companies to source products for your shop contributes to American economic growth. Companies such as Kay Berry have long known that making products in the U.S. is not only good for business but good for their community. Kay Berry products are hand-cast in the U.S. by artisans creating designs from actual stone originals, which are then carefully reproduced using materials and methods developed in ancient Rome.

It’s not just for economic reasons. Consumers also seek out American-made goods due to higher quality and safer products. Retailers find success with companies producing in the U.S. with faster order times, quicker customer service and better availability of products. A company making products in the U.S. can deliver orders faster and often in much smaller quantities than an international company used to working with big box retailers.

Consumers want U.S.-made products instead of cheap products that come from other countries for several reasons. Other countries may have no child labor laws, which protect minors from being forced to work; they may have no environmental controls, which add to the world’s environmental and air pollution; they often have no minimum wage laws, forcing workers to work an unhealthy number of hours for very little pay; they also may have little to no worker safety protections, leading to injuries and deaths that American laws prevent in most cases.

As retailers, once you’ve found companies producing in the U.S., it’s important that you let your customers know it. Make sure you’re including signage in your store that touts your American-made products — a great display can draw customers’ attention and lead to incremental sales. What Mother’s Day gift of a U.S.-crafted garden stone wouldn’t be made better with the inclusion of a candle, produced right in your own town?

Don’t leave it out of your marketing either. Whenever you advertise — whether it’s in print, online or on the air — make sure you’re letting your customers know Kay Berry Bird Bath Made in Americathat you support U.S. businesses and offer unique American-made products. Make “Made in the U.S.” part of your story, and it will help you stand out from the chain retailer down the street.

By turning to partners who make 100 percent American-made goods, such as Kay Berry, or by requesting only American-made from their vendors, retailers will be at the forefront of making these vital changes and reinvigorating the U.S. and local economies.

Kay Berry is the industry’s leading supplier of garden and memorial stone products. To learn more about how we can serve you and your customers, visit us at www.kayberry.com or call 1-800-426-1932.

Kay Berry Logo

(c) 2018 Kay Berry

Jess Schmidt

Jess brings a creative writing degree and over 16 years of professional writing experience to her role as content marketer for the Great American Media Services and SmartSolutions teams. With her additional background in the design world, she works with clients to make their brand stories stand out. Her specialties are thought leadership, compelling descriptive language and marketing strategy. She moonlights as a contributing writer with Gift Shop Plus from time to time.




Social Connections


📣 Meet our speakers! 📣The Garden Center Show, presented by Lawn & Garden Retailer, is excited to announce our Keynote Speakers! 📣 Michelle Sherrier: Owner of MC Design Academy and host of The Retail Whore Podcast📣 Tim Quebedeaux: Owner of RetailKPI and Service Provider for The Garden Center GroupBe sure to check them out, along with our full, FREE conference schedule for The Garden Center Show, Aug. 6-7 in Rosemont, IL.🔗 Register for FREE: LGRMag.com/GCSRegister🌐 Learn more: www.gardencentershow.com🚌 Bus tour info: lgrmag.com/LGRBusTour#GCS24 #GardenCenterShow #GardenEvents #InPersonEvent #Networking #RetailStrategies #SpecialtyRetailers #GardenCenter #Conference #speaker #keynotespeaker ... See MoreSee Less
View on Facebook
Gift Shop Plus Winter 2024
Get one year of Gift Shop Plus in both print and digital editions for just $16.

Interested in reading the print edition of Gift Shop Plus?

Subscribe Today »

website development by deyo designs