A New York State Assemblyman Wants Amazon to Create a “Made in USA” Filter
Americans want to buy American-made products, but say they’re hard to find, a new poll shows.
Amazon is a notorious purveyor of counterfeit goods and products of questionable origins. And, though the retailer is far from the only culprit in the fast fashion and fast furniture hellscape (don’t get us started on Shein!), it is one of the most ubiquitous. But there’s a way that it could do some serious good.
New York State Assemblyman Mark Walczyk (R) is urging Amazon to create a “Made in USA” filter for its website. As holiday shopping saturates the internet, such a filter would offer an easy way for consumers to support local makers and manufacturers and the communities they sustain. Moreover, polling shows that such a means of identifying products that are Made in USA is very much needed.
“Not only does ‘Made in the U.S.A.’ support the entrepreneurship of American citizens, but it also supports our economy and reduces spending our nation’s tax dollars on foreign-made goods,” Walczyk said. “It would be a benefit to consumers, the company, the sellers and our national economy for Amazon to implement this simple change – and I hope they do for this holiday season.”
Polling conducted by Morning Consult in November shows that the American public is eager for more ways to shop Made in USA. According to the survey results, more than three-quarters (76%) of American consumers prefer to buy American-made holiday gifts when possible, but a third of the survey respondents reported rarely seeing or never seeing Made in America products while shopping. Four in five shoppers (81%) said that they would be more likely to Made in America gifts if they were more widely available through large retailers.
Amid fears of inflation dampening holiday spending this year, retailers are ratcheting their marketing to ever-higher levels. American manufacturers could get shouldered out by the competition, which would be a loss for the American economy, but retailers are also missing out on a powerful possible enticement.
“Retailers are missing out by not doing more to promote American-made gifts in their marketing and store displays,” said Alliance for American Manufacturing President Scott Paul. “We’re doing our part by shining the spotlight on some great companies that are making their products locally. Now, it’s up to retailers to stock their shelves with more Made in America options, and better showcase them in their stores, too. It could benefit them at the cash register.”
The Alliance for American Manufacturing released its ninth annual Made in America Holiday Gift Guide earlier this month to help direct consumers to American-made products in their own communities. The guide features products from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. You can browse it by state or category. And, if you still haven’t found something for everyone on your list, check out AAM’s guides from 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, and 2014 for more ideas.