The behavior of consumers
The behavior of consumers has been studied over time; it is however almost impossible to understand it entirely because of the close relation to the human mind. However, past purchasing decisions can help to estimate human behavior in purchasing situations. Consumers make decisions related to buying every day, and most people cannot tell the factors that lead consumers to these decisions (Consumer Reports, 2015). Current times have seen significant changes in the way that people live and also their consumption habits. As a result, governments and companies around the world are facing challenges on how to influence consumers to develop buying habits that are more sustainable. Purchasing decisions can range from cultural, personal, psychological and also social awareness factors. Each shopper has a person who influences the decisions that they make in regards to buying decisions. The behavior of consumers is affected by many factors, and social awareness is one such factor that significantly influence these choices.
Social Awareness and its effects on shopping patterns
Awareness about products and services may begin with an advertisement, an offline interaction or even the very influential social media posts. These give customers the insight which they use to make decisions about what to buy not to buy and what to avoid. Now more than ever, brands do not have control over the first impression that they create on the consumer regarding their products and services (Hugstad & Durr, 2015). Therefore consumers look to social awareness mainly derived from word of mouth referrals to brand promotions before they make their decisions. At times, a retailer may be a recognized brand but lack customers because of the goods that are sold. Recently, primarily due to the influx of substandard products in the market, there has been a tendency among consumers to lay more emphasis on the where goods were manufactured before making a purchase. American consumers have reverted to the traditional shopping patterns where they would only buy products manufactured in America to shield themselves from purchasing goods that do not last long.
Social media and consumer awareness
Social media has been one of the mediums that have led to increased awareness among consumers. Social influencers especially have increasingly been used by organizations to create awareness about the authenticity of their products because of their significant following on social media platforms (Consumer Reports, 2015). Regarding conscience, loyalty is the most significant factor that affects shopping patterns. There is a tendency among American shoppers to exercise loyalty as they go about their shopping. Apple iPhone sales are the best example of this, for years on end, iPhone sales have topped the charts trampling other manufacturers, not from the USA such as Samsung and Huawei (The made in America movement, 2018). Such culture among American consumers has been passed down from generation to generation. The attitude among American shoppers and their perception of goods that are not manufactured in the United States has been for a long time a significant contributor to shopping patterns among most Americans. There is a general perception that goods which are manufactured by companies based in the United States are better and that they last longer.
The importance of bringing back manufacturing in the American economy
It is critically important to bring back manufacturing in the American economy. The trend in American Shoppers to lean towards goods that have been manufactured by American manufacturers should act as a guide to manufacturers. Additionally, the manufacturing industry strongly supports the economy of the United States, and it is imperative that the industry is restored to continue being a rock of strength for future generations (Consumer Reports, 2015). Moreover, the United States benefits from a strong manufacturing sector. The ability supply through a strong manufacturing sector protects the country from international economic and political disruptions.
Confusion among American consumers
Except for cars and woolen products, the law does not require other products to reveal their heritage. However, any time a manufacturer decides to display a product as American made, then they must comply with the federal rules that were put in place to ensure that customers were not misled (Atkinson, 2015). However, most of the American consumers are confused about the whole issue of where certain goods were manufactured. Majority of American consumers do not know the difference between claims put on products. For example, products can claim to be qualified while others are unqualified. Unqualified means that all significant parts are of American origin while qualified means that processing or assembly was done in another country. Thus, this is the leading cause of confusion because most companies do not reveal the real meaning to their consumers. However, the law states that it is an offense for companies not to indicate the actual information regarding the origin of the products that they sell.
Buying preferences of American shoppers
Despite the loyalty among some American shoppers, there is still a significant figure who doesn’t have a problem buying goods which are manufactured in other countries. Most of these shoppers cite the price variations between imports and locally manufactured products while others prefer to avoid American made due to their social classes (Hugstad & Durr, 2015). For example, some people may believe that buying German-made cars is a better option because of their alleged stability. However, research has shown that most American consumers will seek products made in America because they know that it is essential to support their economy and also because they are sure that they are buying quality when they go for made in America.
Conclusion
From the analysis, it is clear that most Americans prefer buying products that are manufactured in the United States. Such trend is presumably based on the belief that buying American made products helps to grow the economy and create jobs and also because they know that they are buying good quality and not the cheap fakes that have flooded the market. There is also a small number of consumers who prefer buying products manufactured in other countries citing the price and others even preference which is mainly brought by social class. It is however clear that most American consumers cannot tell between a product that has partially been manufactured in America and those that are entirely manufactured and assembled in America. It is vital that organizations strive to educate their consumers on "qualified" and "unqualified" products so that they can always make informed decisions before making purchases.
References
Atkinson, L. (2015). Buying in or tuning out: The role of consumption in politically active young adults. New Technologies and Civic Engagement: New Agendas in Communication, 23-45.
Consumer Reports. (2015, April 21). Products Made in America - Consumer Reports Magazine. Retrieved from: https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine/2013/02/made-in-america/index.html
Hugstad, P. S., & Durr, M. (2015). A study of the country of manufacturer impact on consumer perceptions. In Proceedings of the 1986 Academy of Marketing Science (AMS) Annual Conference (pp. 115-119). Springer, Cham.
The made in America movement. (2018, March 8). Know the difference between & Made in the USA and Assembled in the USA? Retrieved from http://www.themadeinamericamovement.com/made-in-usa-certified/difference-between-assembled-made-in-usa/
