May 06
31
Consumerism and the Little Guys
In a report that has just come out, it appears that US consumer confidence is declining. In some respects this is surprising to me. I spend so much time in the US and it seems to be constantly becoming more consumer oriented – the surprise is that in the mode of always attempting to please the consumer it would be impossible to see an end to it…. Unless perhaps humanity is like nature.
Is it possible that nature in abhoring a vacuum also abhors an intellectual and marketing vacuum too? Is it possible that faced with a veritable sea of Starbucks, GAP, Circuit City, McDonalds, and on and on…. that the good old American consumer is finally getting bored with a monoculture of consumerism?
My God, what a concept! Imagine if we all decided overnight that the pendulum has swung far enough in that direction and decided universally to reject the BIG brands in favour of originality, without perfection, and not made in China, Indonesia or some other non-first world country!
For my money (no pun intended) I now look quite carefully at where the manufacturing point is for apparel. Why should I pay the same amount for a baseball cap made in China where the workers get $5 per month as is being asked for a baseball cap made in the US where the workers are getting $5 hour? Personally – I would prefer to support the workers of the US or Australia or Italy… not because I want to disadvantage the workers of China…. but because these people in 1st world countries find it difficult enough on their paltry wages. I'd like to see them keep their jobs…. and guess what – there is normally no difference in the retail price. And that means that the difference in margin is being picked up by the brand.
Screw those big brands! Let's get back to supporting the little guys who are trying hard to get ahead, to create, to be entrepreneurial….