Having emerged victorious from the Persian Gulf war, the United States is enjoying a wave of national pride and confidence. Whether this pride will translate to increased spending remains to be seen, but a study conducted just before the war began shows that there is a large percentage of people who are interested in buying American.

The nationwide study, conducted by the Research Advantage, Hawthorne, New York, collected reaction from consumers to the tagline "Made in the USA" on products from automobiles to wines. Overall, the survey found a strong positive reaction among most groups to the Made in the USA label.

The report states:

"A majority of consumers express more interest in buying goods made in this country rather than in imported goods."

"Given the choice, three out of five consumers are more interested in Made in the USA items than foreign made goods."

"Fewer than 10% expressed less interest in American goods than in foreign made."

The survey found that interest in American goods is strongest among women, older consumers, and those on the East Coast and in the Midwest.

In general, consumers between 18-35 seemed to be the least influenced by the Made in America tag, and more interested in foreign goods, probably because they've grown up with a host of foreign-made goods in their households, and foreign goods have improved their once questionable quality, says Barry Wilensky, president of The Research Advantage.

"It's something that they're used to. They don't view (the foreign goods) as an invasion or an intrusion, as some older consumers do. Years ago, Japanese products, for example, were considered poor quality knock-offs. But they've shed that image and now their products have come to reflect the Japanese concern for quality."

Looked at by product type, the results show that:

  • For automobiles, interest in made in USA cars is lowest among those 18-24 years old, and people living in the south and west and highest among those 45 and over and those in the east and midwest
  • For furniture, the percentage who say they are more interested in U.S. made products is highest among those 45 and over and lowest among those 18-24.
  • In the clothing segment - which examined casual/sportswear, business wear, and formal wear - perceptions differed most in the casual/sportswear segment. Men, shoppers 35 and over, and those in the East and Midwest were the most interested in casual/sportswear with a Made in the USA label.
  • For electronic items such as cameras, microwave ovens, VCRs, etc., women and consumers over 45 show the greatest interest in Made in USA goods.

In many ways, by their reactions to the Made in USA tag consumers show that they have a "wish list" of products that they wish were made in America but usually aren't, Wilensky says. Especially in the electronics categories, where the Japanese manufacturers are dominant, consumers seem to be expressing the feeling that if American manufacturers had products on the market, they would buy them.

But, Wilensky cautions, the "buy American" impulse can be squelched if the American made product is more expensive than a comparable foreign-made good. "People may want to buy American-made shoes, for example, but if those shoes are $10 more than a foreign-made pair, they might reconsider."

The study also identified a large segment of the population that says it perceives no difference between US and foreign made goods. This group might be of interest to manufacturers who are able to sway consumer opinions to one side or the other, Wilensky says. "There seems to be a battleground for people who don't care, and making them care one way or the other might be an opportunity for both foreign and American companies.