Discussion»Questions»Human Behavior» Quality and availability being equal would you pay MORE for an American-made product than for a comparable cheaper foreign-made one? Why?
I actively and sometimes painstakingly seek out the products marked 'Made in USA' and purposely avoid those made in certain foreign locations. It's a bit hypocritical to advocate the exodus of jobs in the US while gobbling up everything that's made outside of the US. Every cent that goes to a foreign manufacturer or exporter is another nail in the coffin of the US economy.
I would pay more for an American made product as long as it wasn't exorbitantly more expensive. I'd like to see more American made products available without having to search so hard for them. If I were to limit my purchases to American made, it would take me three times longer to shop and I don't have that kind of patience.
Thank you for your reply Spunky. I have some relatives who dislike Walmart intensely and refuse to shop there. They shop at the mom-and-pop stores in their neighborhoods. And pay more money for the same products. They defend/support the little guy and they think Walmart is the evil monster intent on destroying little guys all over the country. We shop at Walmart and have for years. We are retired and live on social security and a modest retirement income. I paid $5.99 for the same product at Walmart as the local mom-and-pop store was charging $8.99 for! It was for one pound of organic grain-fed beef! Now why should I pay $3 more for the same product? If American-made products are significantly more expensive than their equally good foreign counterparts I can't in good conscience buy them. If I had more money available I might well think otherwise and buy American. But we are limited by what we can comfortably afford so with that in mind I scour ads, clip coupons and shop! We are fortunate in that we also have a Winco store which also is well-known locally for lower prices so we shop both stores regularly! We drop by the mom-and-pop stores from time to time just to see what they have. Once in awhile they have something on sale of good quality and that's when we buy there! :)
This post was edited by RosieG at April 8, 2017 10:00 AM MDT
It is a bit more difficult to "buy American" when you're on a smaller fixed income. I do appreciate that, but I also believe that it's prudent to get value for what you spend. I happen to shop at a Walmart supermarket. Their prices are good, their products are fresh and their employees are very accommodating, unlike some of the mom and pop stores in my neighborhood.