Survey Cites American-Made as Important Buying Factor

It is no secret that the last decade has brought a surge in demand for products made in the USA. But it was only recently we realized how much the “Buy American” movement has evolved.

In a recent survey conducted by American Certified, 1500 people across the nation were asked the question, “Other than price/ quality, what factor is most important to you when purchasing a product?”

Of the 1500 people surveyed, an overwhelming majority of respondents (51.9%) chose “Made in the USA”. The second most important factor was “Locally-made,” with 17% of participants choosing this option. The other choices included in this survey (listed in decreasing order of importance to participants) were Eco-Friendly, Union-made, Other, Veteran-owned, and Woman or Minority-owned businesses.


What’s amazing is that this preference towards American-made goods is even more influential in the purchasing decisions of Americans over age 65. For this demographic, 66.2% of survey takers answered that “Made in the USA “ was the most important buying factor to them outside of price and quality.

The survey results give us important insight into the new psyche of shoppers. It seems that more Americans are basing purchasing decisions on ethical and patriotic criteria, opting for more expensive Made in USA products over cheap and poorly made overseas items. We can also speculate that customers understand that keeping production on American soil ensures safe conditions and fair labor practices for workers.

As labor costs rise overseas in places like China, U.S.-based manufacturers are seeing new opportunities to produce domestically. This movement and preference towards American-made goods tells us that Americans are beginning to realize the correlation between buying USA-made products and the advancement of U.S. manufacturing (and thus a better economic outlook).

American Certified (www.AmericanCertified.com) commissioned this survey as part of their ongoing mission to empower Americans to buy USA made clothing, Sporting goods, appliances, and more. With millions of American-made products across thousands of categories, American Certified makes it easy for consumers to know where their products come from and where their money goes.