“Made in America.” It still means something, doesn’t it? Now that we’re all turning our thoughts toward the holiday gifting season, let’s dig into this idea to learn more about what it means and why it’s important. And, obviously, where you can do it!
Here are Five Fast Facts about buying American for holiday gifts:
- 👍 First Things First - First, let’s look at why it’s important. There are lots of reasons, but a few of the biggies are because it boosts our own economy, particularly local small businesses, which provide ⅔ of the jobs in this country. We also make stuff better here, with better technology, less environmental impact, and better worker conditions. In short, we kick ass.
- 💲 You’re Not Alone - Many Americans agree. Almost ⅔ of surveyed Americans prefer buying American-made products, and around 20% say they’d pay more for stuff made here.
- 👀 You Can Find Them - A lot of companies are outsourcing to China or other countries, but you can still find places that make their stuff here. Check out this list of popular products made right here at home, from Airstream trailers to Zippo lighters, and everything in between.
- 😄 Free Yourself To Shop American - Freespoke is another great stop if you’re looking to buy American-made products. You can search by brand, by product type, or by themed collections of related stuff. If you know of (or own!) a business that qualifies, you can also submit your information and get it listed!
- ❤️Love List - If you want American made products organized into nifty categories, you can also mosey on over to the USA Love List. They’ve done all the hard work of sifting thousands of companies into categories so you can go straight to the thing you want to buy…built right here by an American company.
🔥Bottom line: Buying American-made stuff just makes sense. It’s likely to be better quality, it’s made in ways that are better for the workers and the world around us, and it supports our own people and businesses. Nike is not one of those American-made companies, but we’ll borrow their catch phrase: just do it!
Are you planning to buy American for the holidays this year?
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