Slog
News & ArtsTuesday, January 10, 2012
Retail The All-American Store: A Slog Poll
Posted by Paul Constant on Tue, Jan 10, 2012 at 8:15 AM
Daily Finance brings news that in Brookville, Ohio...
...two years ago (several months after the Great Recession officially ended), an intrepid group of entrepreneurs pooled their capital to set up a new kind of retailer by the name of "The All American Store."
The All American Store is exactly what the name implies. It's a corner retailer. A hardware store. An echo of the old general stores that used to be the mainstay of retailing in so many small towns across the land. And AAS sells American-made goods — much like the goods I argued that Sears should consider selling.
To those who say it's not possible for Sears to reinvent itself — that "Made in America" is too quaint a concept to work, or that "we don't make anything in America anymore, so how could you sell it?" — AAS has a response: Yes, we make it. Yes, we sell it. And yes, this can work.
I think all it would take is one retailer to push this nationwide to instigate serious anti-Walmart feelings in the average American. But what's the catch? Well, according to the article, while several products cost as little as 15% more than the Chinese versions Walmart sells, most of them cost 50 to 100% more. So let's pretend an All-American Store is opening in your neighborhood...
1
Expensive or not, the best way to help the American economy is to actually by American-made products. You think people should be paid a decent/living wage? Buy American. You think that companies shouldn’t be allowed to poison the air and water that drifts and floats to our shores? Buy American. You think poor children should go to school instead of work? You think forcing people to work twelve-hour days without compensation is wrong? Buy American.
Except that it’s so hard to find American. Over the last few years, I’ve become more conscious of where my products come from and when I have the chance, I chose the American-made product regardless of price. And since most of what I buy is china-cheap, I can afford to splurge once in a while for American-made.
If this store came to this area, I would shop there first for as much as I can find and then go elsewhere for the rest. I hope the best for them.
Except that it’s so hard to find American. Over the last few years, I’ve become more conscious of where my products come from and when I have the chance, I chose the American-made product regardless of price. And since most of what I buy is china-cheap, I can afford to splurge once in a while for American-made.
If this store came to this area, I would shop there first for as much as I can find and then go elsewhere for the rest. I hope the best for them.
2
Every time I have a choice (not that I have it very often in places like Target where I usually shop) I buy the American-made product. The only exceptions might be for culinary ingredients or something like chopsticks. If this store were to open up near me I'd make that my first stop.
6
In the late 80s/early 90s, Wal-Mart actually had an aggressive "Made in America" campaign to promote domestic goods. That died when Sam Walton died and they started actively encouraging foreign manufacturing. This article on Snapper Mowers is a great example:
http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/102/…
http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/102/…
7
I'd gladly pay 100% more for something that lasts 500% longer. Take those Chinese made hose nozzles (please)...fuckin' junk.
8
@6 I thought I remebered that, but no one I spoke with could remember those days. Weren't all the ads RW&B and (almost) everything was Made In America?
10
I'd buy if improved quality matches the increased price. 50% more utility is worth a 50% higher price.
12
If only the "Made in America" quality meant anything. The American crap is just as bad or worse than the Chinese crap. It's also not true that "American made" means good, high-wage jobs; a lot of those jobs are horrible and scummy in places like rural Arkansas.
14
If you want economic democracy, you have take control of the means of exchange. Issue local currency to boost local trading. It's not obvious, and somewhat tricky to wrap your head around if there isn't already a local currency on offer, but it is very effective and stops your money from flying out of the country, or ending up in oligarchs pockets. It also encourages trading to focus on quality, as opposed to superficial plastic shit.
15
Union-made would mean more than just Made in America. But since everyone hates unions now, that idea wouldn't fly.
16
I too would happily pay more if it were higher quality stuff and the people making it were Americans making a decent wage. But it has to be both.
I get teased for having a lot of old appliances, but the vacuum cleaners, mixers, etc, can literally soldier on for years. My Fridigdaire ovens keeps a consistent accurate temperature despite being fifty years old. On the other hand, Mother Vel-DuRay's fifteen year old GE range (made in America!) is a piece of junk.
I get teased for having a lot of old appliances, but the vacuum cleaners, mixers, etc, can literally soldier on for years. My Fridigdaire ovens keeps a consistent accurate temperature despite being fifty years old. On the other hand, Mother Vel-DuRay's fifteen year old GE range (made in America!) is a piece of junk.
17
@7 - Damn, me too...probably 2 cheap hose nozzles a year for the past few years...and no, I am not letting them freeze! I wanted to find a better made one and pay more for it but my local big box hardware store doesn't give me that option.
18
The best thing you can do with your money is not to buy products from one place, but to buy products that are made well. If the All-American Store had better stuff, I'd probably shop there.
I was considering this question, though, and I came to the startling realization that besides groceries, I don't really, you know... shop. Like at all. Not for new stuff, anyway; I do shop thrift stores because I am poor as fuck.
Anyway, in line with what Fnarf pointed out, "Made in America" doesn't mean a whole lot. It can still be made from shitty components from elsewhere, for one thing, and for another, those jobs might pay more in absolute terms than overseas but that doesn't mean the real benefit they provide to employees is any greater. I hate to be so cynical, but complex problems just don't have simplistic solutions.
I was considering this question, though, and I came to the startling realization that besides groceries, I don't really, you know... shop. Like at all. Not for new stuff, anyway; I do shop thrift stores because I am poor as fuck.
Anyway, in line with what Fnarf pointed out, "Made in America" doesn't mean a whole lot. It can still be made from shitty components from elsewhere, for one thing, and for another, those jobs might pay more in absolute terms than overseas but that doesn't mean the real benefit they provide to employees is any greater. I hate to be so cynical, but complex problems just don't have simplistic solutions.
20
I'd prefer a store that sells good quality stuff, regardless of where it's made.
It's getting almost impossible to find clothing that's not transparent. At first, I thought the transparent t-shirt thing was some sort of unbearably shitty fashion statement, but it's lasted too long for that. Clothes companies are simply too cheap to use real fabric. And I wonder how much money they save by sewing seams with just one line of very flimsy thread.
It's getting almost impossible to find clothing that's not transparent. At first, I thought the transparent t-shirt thing was some sort of unbearably shitty fashion statement, but it's lasted too long for that. Clothes companies are simply too cheap to use real fabric. And I wonder how much money they save by sewing seams with just one line of very flimsy thread.
21
If we want to help create jobs for our family, friends and neighbors, we should all commit to buying more American made consumer goods. Buy Libman cleaning products at Bartells; they cost about the same as brooms and mops from China. Buy Wigwam socks from Sheboygan, Wisconsin; they are as cheap as socks made overseas. Buy New Balance shoes; they cost about the same as Nikes. I write about this issue everyday at my blog simply-american.net. If you want to buy great furniture made in Seattle, stop by the McKinnon Furniture showroom on Western. If you are in the market for a great messenger bag, stop by the Tom Bihn showroom in SoDo. And if you want great camping gear, look no further than Feathered Friends near REI's flagship store. Now get shopping!
All the best,
John Briggs
All the best,
John Briggs
22
If we want to help create jobs for our family, friends and neighbors, we should all commit to buying more American made consumer goods. Buy Libman cleaning products at Bartells; they cost about the same as brooms and mops from China. Buy Wigwam socks from Sheboygan, Wisconsin; they are as cheap as socks made overseas. Buy New Balance shoes; they cost about the same as Nikes. I write about this issue everyday at my blog simply-american.net. If you want to buy great furniture made in Seattle, stop by the McKinnon Furniture showroom on Western. If you are in the market for a great messenger bag, stop by the Tom Bihn showroom in SoDo. And if you want great camping gear, look no further than Feathered Friends near REI's flagship store. Now get shopping!
All the best,
John Briggs
All the best,
John Briggs
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