The patriotic voice of the consumer

In research fresh off the presses, 60% of consumers surveyed say they are more likely to shop for Made-in-USA products than they were five years ago.

That blows away the 7% who described themselves as “less likely.”

Those are the topline findings from a consumer survey conducted by Media, Pa.-based market research firm SSRS.

Diving deeper into the data, the weighted analysis shows younger consumers and older consumers are more likely to look for the Made-in-USA label (Chart No. 3).

“Millennials have been shown in many studies to be very receptive to cause marketing, such as ‘Made in USA,’ so it’s not surprising that their sentiments are similar to older consumers whose feelings may be influenced by post-war memories,” said Mark Delaney, VP business and consumer insights for SSRS.

As for motivation — jobs beats quality by more than two-to-one (Chart No. 2).

That, too, is grounded in economic dollars and cents, Delaney said. “Given recent economic challenges, it certainly makes sense that a consumers’ reasoning toward buying ‘Made in USA’ would be more influenced by wanting to see a neighbor or relative keep their job.”

The concentration of manufacturing in the South usually results in a stronger sense of pocketbook patriotism as it relates to purchasing behavior, he added.