What exactly is happening to Made in the USA? Over the last few decades we, Americans, have been watching our manufacturing capability vanishing. The merchandise pricing falling to all time lows, masking the true effects and impacts that were to come and are here now, using inexpensive labor outside of the USA and their manufacturing facilities. I am sure there are tax benefits with this and much higher profit margins to be had for the few.
In the beginning, this seemed fantastic to most of us consumers. Products that were, and still are, less expensive than their U.S. made counterparts. Made to not last very long, but long enough to where we, the consumer, feel we are getting our money's worth. Parts? What Parts? If the product fails or is no longer working, just buy new. This is the "disposable society" way of thinking. Just throw in a five year warranty and we are off to the races. Everyone feels warm and fuzzy, right?
What is one of the major obstacles in bringing back American made merchandise to the U.S. consumer? CONVENIENCE. It is practically the middle name for us Americans. If it is not conveniently accessible, then you probably won't succeed. There needs to be a convenient location for American made products to be available. Not to expect everything to be made 100% in the U.S. as most people would think of, but just the majority. This is almost a 180 degree flip from the norm of today's stores. The majority is explained a little more in the 71/29 concept idea.
The difference here is responsibility. Us Americans have been taught recently over the years into thinking we must always need a good "value". Today, the word "value" means absolutely nothing. It has been eroded away and is only the figment of imagination to the marketers that make it up and the consumers who believe in it. What ever happened to such words as: Quality Made, Responsibility, Service, Reliability, Replacement Parts? Instead, we get: value, warranty, buy one get one free, teaser rates, save, get 50% off, dog and pony shows, etc....
One trend of lately, has been the increase in pricing on merchandising goods. This could be partly caused by the weakening dollar, but also in the increased profit margins for the few. In the not so distant future, pricing will be back at where it once was when most of the manufacturing was happening here in the U.S. Interesting? The few stand to make quite a bit more money.
Do not mistake these comments. We will always need the rich and the poor to survive together. They always have in the past. America, however, also needs the Middle Class to survive. It is how we got to where we are today and must be kept sound. Losing manufacturing jobs only helps destroy it. This is only one piece of the puzzle to get America back on track. I can assure you there are not enough alternative jobs to carry the load of all of the manufacturing jobs lost.
The first way to get back on the winning track is to offer a convenient way for the American consumer to purchase a majority of its needed merchandising in one place. A brick and mortar store with an alternative to what is offered today. Not in direct competition with foreign goods, but another avenue. We all need each other to stay healthy and competitive with one another. This works best in the long run. It will help establish the demand for more U.S. made merchandise which in turn will help create more local jobs. So on and so on. We have to start now, it is not too late.
Now, back to the original question of: What is happening to Made in the USA? The toilet, as of lately. Let us make a change for the good. If some or all of the things outlined here are sounding good and you have the passion to change America, then please send me an email and we can discuss more or leave a comment at the Guest book page. Right now we are looking for investors willing to help change America. We have the determination to make a change for the better. Remember, the majority is Ok, not a figure of 100. If we are smart, we will realize we are all in this together.
