Leona Denny isn't just a holiday shopper. With respects to Lee Greenwood, she's a "proud-to-be-an-American" shopper.
So it's probably no surprise the 73-year-old Cocoa Beach resident and widow of a Marine veteran is paying particular attention this year that the gifts she buys
are "Made in the U.S.A."
| The fact is that American workers, and American companies, are really the only ones that contribute to the tax coffers of the government, which funds our Social Security, our schools, our military and everything else... Since we're in a position of being on the verge of losing our national surplus, it becomes more important to patronize the workers and the companies that support our livelihood...
- Roger Simmermaker
|
"I think we should give our money to our people that work and make all these products," said Denny, owner of an older-model, American-made Cadillac.
As it gets closer to Friday, the unofficial kickoff of the holiday shopping season, plenty of consumers like Denny plan to be in a patriotic frame of mind
as they shop.
Britt Beemer, chairman of America's Research Group, said the number of Americans wanting U.S.-made goods - from furniture to clothing - jumped from about 20
percent before the Sept. 11 attacks to 36 percent by early October.
Beemer said a similar trend was evident during the Gulf War, but he believes it will be more pervasive this time around.
"As President George Bush mobilizes the American mindset to fight this war, this trend will definitely move upward, even reaching half of the population," Beemer
said.
Buying American-made products - from electronics and textiles to automobiles - always has been a goal among some consumers. They see it as a way of protecting
jobs and supporting the country.
But since Sept. 11, there seems to be a renewed patriotism that is translating into a mixture of boosterism and consumerism of American-made products.
At Wal-Mart stores across the country, patriotic goods have been big sellers, said Tom Williams, a spokesman for the nation's largest retailer.
In the crafts department, the red, white and blue bunting materials are popular, Williams said. And sales of flags - which are manufactured in the United States
- have been phenomenal. During the first three days after Sept. 11, Wal-Mart stores sold more than 800,000 flags, and they're still selling well.
Williams said he could not provide a sales breakdown of products made in the United States vs. foreign-made goods at Wal-Mart.
Although the company always has tried to push American-made products, he conceded that to offer shoppers the lowest prices possible, the stores sometimes
have to sell goods that are foreign-made or use foreign-made materials.
"When we have the opportunity, we always deal with American suppliers," Williams said. "But in the apparel-manufacturing business, there's very little of it that
goes on in the United States."
That's why it takes some effort - and probably a bit more expense - to buy American-made products only, said Roger Simmermaker, an electronics technician
for Lockheed Martin at Cape Canaveral and author of the book How Americans Can Buy American.
The additional effort is worth it, said Simmermaker, who has a Web site listing more than 1,000 American-made products.
"The fact is that American workers, and American companies, are really the only ones that contribute to the tax coffers of the government, which funds our
Social Security, our schools, our military and everything else," Simmermaker said. "Since we're in a position of being on the verge of losing our national
surplus, it becomes more important to patronize the workers and the companies that support our livelihood."
Simmermaker said the idea for his book came to in 1994 him while shopping at the Florida Mall in Orlando. A former supporter of Ross Perot's Reform Party,
Simmermaker said he made a conscious effort that afternoon to buy American-made clothing only.
"I had such a hard time doing it, and I was frustrated," he said. "That's when I decided to write a book."
The book came out in 1996, and he created his Web site in 1997. Simmermaker said during the first few weeks after the Sept. 11 attacks, he received more hits on
his Web site than during the entire time since he started it.
"That says something," said Simmermaker, who is revising his book and rereleasing it next spring.
According to the Federal Trade Commission, the "Made in the U.S.A" label means "all or virtually all" of a product is made in America. That means all
significant parts, processing and labor that go into a product must be of U.S.
origin.
However, the FTC notes there is no law requiring manufacturers of most products to disclose U.S. product content, unless they plan on making the claim it's made
in the United States.
Local store owners said while they're hearing more these days from shoppers concerned about buying American-made products, it often is difficult to meet
customers' demand.
Susan Griffin, owner of The Wooden Spoon, a kitchen-supply store in Suntree, said she understands shoppers' concerns about American-made products, but it's
not always easy to please customers.
"I have people that want American-made products, but a lot of the things they want are not made in the U.S.A," Griffin said.
Joe Vara, an assistant manager in the hardware section at the Sears store in Melbourne, said many shoppers are "particular about some items."
"Some people only want products made in American," Vara said.
It's a bit easier for Steve Oktela, owner of Space Coast Harley-Davidson in Melbourne. Oktela said he has seen record sales since Sept. 11, and holiday
sales look good so far.
Oktela said he thinks there are two reasons behind the strong sales.
One is a you-might-as-well-spend-it-now attitude that he has seen since Sept.
11. The other is Harley-Davidson is the only major manufacturer of American-made motorcycles.
"We're having record sales, and that's one of the driving factors," Oktela said of the fact Harley-Davidson is a U.S. product.
Not all agree that buying U.S.-made products is a good policy.
Charles J. Dwyer of Melbourne, a retired Army master sergeant, said that in a global economy, it's not realistic to focus on American-made products only.
"It's very superficial," Dwyer said of consumers buying only American-made products after Sept. 11. "It's a small planet. It would be intelligent to shop
for value."
For those who shop for U.S.-made products, it's hard to tell how long this patriotic consumerism will last, especially if a recession forces people to shop
for the lowest prices available, regardless of where products are manufactured.
"I think, for many people, buying American only will stick; others, it may not,"
Simmermaker said. "It's a case of waking up a sleeping giant."
