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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To ask how important it is to buy things made in your own country?

102 replies

FortunesFave · 19/02/2021 07:06

To you I mean.

Do you ever choose something over another item because it says it was "Made in England" or wherever you live?

If so, what are your reasons?

OP posts:
oohyoudevilyou · 19/02/2021 10:33

I try and buy British, and as local as possible for food, clothes, furniture, household textiles etc, but when it comes to cars and other finely engineered items I want German quality and functionality.

Ylfa · 19/02/2021 10:35

@TravellingTilbury

Yifa, what sort of work do you mean? I've worked low paid jobs (picking grapes, amongst others) in England. Much of the UK is rural.
No I mean the OP specifically wanting to roll the clock back to some imaginary time when manufacturing was a thing in the U.K. I just can’t see it
ChonkyChook · 19/02/2021 10:36

@Babdoc

Petty, I know, but I always buy food labelled British rather than Scottish, if there is a choice, and particularly go for products with a union jack on the packaging! I’m English, a staunch Unionist, and have lived in Scotland for 45 years. When the SNP were screaming for a boycott of Tunnocks tea cakes, for daring to label them British, I bought extra. So did a lot of people - sales went up 33%. With non food items there is rarely a truly British option, as so much manufacturing has been outsourced to cheaper factories abroad.
Places like Mark and Spencers labelling Scottish as British must make this a pain for you. They're not the only ones either. Shouldn't be allowed.

Personally I buy Scottish but you're entitled to your choices, things should be properly labelled. Welsh lamb is delicious for example, I want to know what it is and where it's from.

StrictlyAFemaleFemale · 19/02/2021 10:41

I live in Denmark so other than local food I cant afford to buy anything made locally because Im not a squillionaire.

BiddyPop · 19/02/2021 10:44

I would certainly keep it in mind as part of my choices when buying. I often buy local (within this country) crafts for people, as that is supporting craftspeople in this country. And there are lots of choices about the type of craft, the style its' made in, and to be able to suit it to the recipient.

And food - both artisan and normal supermarket types.

If you spend money that stays in this country, it helps to support the circular economy, and even more so if you support local suppliers/shops etc. Research (which I can't remember now to point to) shows that if you spend money in local shops, a much higher proportion of it stays in the local community which supports the economic growth as a whole.

So I spend money in local butcher and baker, buying my bread and meat. That supports farmers who rear the animals and grow (some of) the grain (we don't grow enough grain anymore, and don't grow our own sugar anymore either). There are truck drivers who bring the animals to the abbatoir and on to the butcher, and move ingredients around. The abbatoir itself employs a few staff. There is packaging the ingredients and meat if it is going on shelves (less so if full sides of meat for a butchers' shop).

The money I spend in the butcher and bakery goes towards them paying their staff, their rent, their energy bills, their council rates bills etc. Council rates go on providing local services and improvements to the local area (and employing a fair few people also).

But also, the butcher and baker also need to buy things for themselves - food, clothes, entertainment etc. There are also essential services like getting hair cut, going to GP, getting medicines, other healthcare etc that can be done locally. We can choose to get our cars serviced locally also.

The more money we have in a local community, the more likelihood that we can spend our extra money, once we have bought the essentials, on non essentials like entertainment, gifts, eating out, extra clothes, services like hairdressing (beyond a basic cut)/beautician etc.

Basically, it's circular, as the money we earn goes back to the local economy, and moves around there in exchange for various goods and services which overall gives a benefit to everyone. We will all pay our taxes in this country, which gives the Govt more money to spend on supporting the healthcare system, building and maintaining the roads we all use, providing social welfare to those in greatest need etc.

But if we spend our money on Amazon buying in Chinese goods (insert other money going outside your local area or beyond the borders of the country), then there is no money going around the local businesses, so they start to fail as they can't pay their expenses. Costs will increase as people need to travel further to get to suppliers. Even if the actual costs of the goods stay the same. But if there is less competition in the marketplace, because there are fewer suppliers, those left can increase their prices as they know people have less choice and are more likely to have to go to them. Many smaller services go out of business as their customers no longer need their services (the butcher getting meat delivered from local abbatoir now works in a large supermarket earning a standard wage and gets the meat brought in from a large plant already vacuum packed for shelves - which any worker can do and eventually even the butchery counter needs fewer specialised staff, and farmers need to sell their animals to larger abbatoirs attached to those meat plants which pay less and they have higher transport costs so can't make ends meet anymore so change from rearing animals to something else, probably selling the land eventually for houses).

There will be less money for discretionary spending.

There will be less money for the local authorities from rates, and for Govt through taxes. So local and national services start to dip.

The earning potential of the country and its assets drops. Farms become houses that are owned by their occupants (or maybe some landlords). Craftspeople cannot earn a living so do a "normal" office job/stack shelves in supermarkets etc - and the skills and crafts die out. Our national deficit grows as imports grow and our potential for exports shrinks as people leave different professions/costs get too high.

It needs to be a balance.

So yes, I will look to support local as much as I can. In many different ways.

Thimbleberries · 19/02/2021 10:45

@FortunesFave

It's interesting that almost everyone is only discussing food and drink...rather than other products.

Wouldn't you like to see more things being produced in the UK? It would mean more work for people.

Not specially. I prefer to have the choice available, and if I can choose ethical product made nearer me, OK, but just because they're from the UK? No. It was much better having the whole of Europe to choose products from when needed; more choice and quality that way. I tried a local bike shop, for example, for things I wanted, and the choice of things that were stocked (even online) was so much smaller and more poorly designed that the ones on the continent. Fine if you wanted the particular product they sold, but I wanted the wider variety of choice to get something designed to suit what I needed. Environmental reasons are the only reasons I can see for reducing the choice to what is available here, but I'd much rather otherwise having as much choice as other areas do.
FortunesFave · 19/02/2021 11:23

If you spend money that stays in this country, it helps to support the circular economy, and even more so if you support local suppliers/shops etc. Research (which I can't remember now to point to) shows that if you spend money in local shops, a much higher proportion of it stays in the local community which supports the economic growth as a whole.

This.

I couldn't articulate it....perhaps others don't realise?

OP posts:
thereisonlyoneofme · 19/02/2021 11:23

I try to avoid buying anything made in China. However its nearly impossible. When buying stuff on line I go for a supplier in this country but the item is invariably from China when received. Why isnt the country of origin stated on the website?

FortunesFave · 19/02/2021 11:26

Ylfa I wouldn't mind doing 'that sort of work' at all! Not everyone's a lawyer or a teacher you know.

OP posts:
Ylfa · 19/02/2021 12:13

@FortunesFave

Ylfa I wouldn't mind doing 'that sort of work' at all! Not everyone's a lawyer or a teacher you know.
I know, it just doesn’t seem realistic or desirable to try to recreate a manufacturing base (that was never particularly good even in its day) onto the 2021 and onward population that’s all.
Emeraldshamrock · 19/02/2021 12:18

If you spend money that stays in this country, it helps to support the circular economy, and even more so if you support local suppliers/shops etc. Research (which I can't remember now to point to) shows that if you spend money in local shops, a much higher proportion of it stays in the local community which supports the economic growth as a whole
Indeed. I was pulled down the Amazon hole for convenience for a few years, the pandemic changed that now with import charges I'll continue to shop local.

LadyEloise · 19/02/2021 12:20

I buy electrical/ white goods and furniture from Irish owned companies if possible rather than Currys, Homebase, Argos, Harvey Norman, DFS, Carpetright etc.
because the profits will more likely be spent in Ireland rather than being taken to Britain.
Because of that principle I should change my pattern of supermarket shopping Blush
Bye bye Tesco, Lidl, Aldi and M&S

Theworldisfullofgs · 19/02/2021 12:32

I tend to buy local because of environmental factors. The dilemma for me is that what was patriotism now feels like nationalism and that's uncomfortable.
But I'd still buy local.

However, most viable production businesses need an international market reach to be competitive and viable. Thats now difficult. A local farmer sells potatoes to Ireland (yes I know) and that contract looks likely to go. They are in real danger of going bankrupt.
There are countless examples of companies looking to relocate their base to be competitive. The likely outcome is the UK market will end up bring the smallest market place.

www.eastbourneherald.co.uk/business/major-eastbourne-business-relocate-denmark-3122803?__twitter_impression=true

FortunesFave · 19/02/2021 12:51

Ylfa what makes you think it was never particularly good? Any references?

OP posts:
Skysblue · 19/02/2021 12:57

Depends what it is. For a dehumidifier I definitely wanted one made in UK so it works on UK level of humidity not eg Korean. For cars or anything technical I want German (not French 😬). For pasta/cheese I’d choose Italian or French over British, but for anything fresh (esp meat) I want British/Irish so it hasn’t traveled as far. I won’t buy food eg nuts from China (although will from Vietnam). Toys made in North Europe tend to last longer than toys made in Asia. Waterproofs from Scandinavia are brilliant and way better value for money than what I got in UK. Tiles from Italy/Spain were way better than what I could find from UK and worked out cheaper even including delivery.

I know its off topic but for tradesmen I won’t hire again the plumber who had union jacks all over his website - he was not a nice guy to deal with. For builders a friend said that East Europeans will get on with the job fast and work hard, while Brits will complain all the time and run late with the job - having had experience of both, all the cliches seemed to be true and I’d hesitate to hire a British builder again tbh I can’t deal with all the whinging. 😳

AppleBarrel · 19/02/2021 12:59

I try to buy locally where possible, and fortunately the supermarket where I do most of my shopping stocks a lot of local brands.
There is a factory for cleaning products fairly near us, so I try to buy their brand for dishwasher tabs, bathroom cleaner etc.

For toys, I try to go for European brands and avoid stuff made in China, and buy from our local toy shop.

For other things like clothes, books, , homewares, furniture etc I just try to use local high street or local businesses as much as possible.

Mainly environmental reasons (especially for food), but also feeling I should support my local high street and wider local economy.

therealstevebrexit · 19/02/2021 13:02

it's a marketing con for most things.

Just customise slightly a finish product here and you can call it "made in the UK".

TravellingTilbury · 19/02/2021 13:05

Ylfa not desirable? While it might depend on demand and supply of raw materials, they has always been a demand to continue with certain traditional industries in the UK eg textiles, milling, potteries, woodcraft, printing etc - you might find the desire/demand increases, who knows. Some raw goods are still produced and mined in the UK(*) so it's sensible to not outsource all manufacturing.

Ylfa · 19/02/2021 13:10

@TravellingTilbury

Ylfa not desirable? While it might depend on demand and supply of raw materials, they has always been a demand to continue with certain traditional industries in the UK eg textiles, milling, potteries, woodcraft, printing etc - you might find the desire/demand increases, who knows. Some raw goods are still produced and mined in the UK(*) so it's sensible to not outsource all manufacturing.
Yeah it must have been great in those days, especially having all those colonies as a captive market. The way the UK became rich in the past is not something we can (or should aspire to) return to is it?
Voluptuagoodshag · 19/02/2021 13:19

Fresh food I tend to buy from butchers, fishmonger etc. Bread from my local bakery. Fruit and veg tends to be supermarket unless the local farmer's market is on and generally I buy what's in season.

With other stuff I try to buy as close to home as possible and actively try to avoid anything made in China because of their poor human rights record. Difficult because almost everything is made there.

Clothing I always buy out of charity shops anyway.

The whole calibration is out if it's cheaper to buy something made on the other side of the world rather than in your own country. It's not nationalism or patriotism, it's environmentalism.

The UK needs to get back to making things, not just because of the shambolic Brexit but because it's fundamental that you should be able to survive without relying on stuff from elsewhere. There is also the satisfaction of making something. Whilst doing some local history research I was amazed that there were so many trades years ago where even in my small village they had several shoemakers, glovers, rope makers, umbrella makers, tailors etc. And I bet they all took pride in their work.

Unhomme · 19/02/2021 13:21

Global trade is good

We should buy more quality, and less tat.

Voluptuagoodshag · 19/02/2021 13:22

And I make my own cleaning products from vinegar, soda crystals and lemon juice. For laundry it's soda crystals and castile soap. Sometimes add a couple drops of lavender for a nice pong. It's a marketing ploy that we need a different sort of cleaner for every bit of the house - all bollocks. Google for recipes for this - I can testify that my washing, dishes and surfaces are just as clean.

TravellingTilbury · 19/02/2021 13:24

Ylfa I made a point (in response to one of your posts) about why it could be desirable to continue with certain industries and manufacturing. I'm sure this would apply to other countries too. It's thought provoking.

However, I'm going to disengage because you seem to have an agenda and are coming across mighty angry and a stirrer.

Theworldisfullofgs · 19/02/2021 13:27

As I said I will buy local for environmental reasons.

Having village umbrella makers went with industrialisation. Viable markets are largely international and a fact of economics. I'd love to have a village bakery but it's not viable. We knew that when the Hanseatic league was introduced. Your choices are make your own (which I do) or buy from a viable and affordable source.

EBearhug · 19/02/2021 13:48

I grew up on a farm, and I may be the first generation not farming. I was brought up to buy British where possible, especially food, because it had a direct effect on us. There are obvious exceptions - the British citrus and banana harvests have been particularly poor this year. Smile But I don't want to buy Kenyan beans when we can grow them here - and when I was in Kenya, I saw great fields surrounded by mesh and big signs up from the chemical companies that were protecting against dudus (bugs), and they were selling to Tesco. I know it employs local people there, and exports are good for their economy, but I don't think it can balance out well long term, especially for the environment. I'd rather stick to eating seasonally and locally, except for things which can't be grown in our climate.

Most of my toiletries have been made in the UK, too, though I don't think all the ingredients are British.

I want to buy British jn the garden, too, but I don't think that is always easy when it comes to bulbs and bedding plants and so on.

As for other goods - haven't bought white goods for ages. Haven't even bought many clothes this last year, if any. I can sew and knit, so clothes can't a long time as I repair them. I'm not a big contributor to the fashion economy.

It's much easier to know where food items are from than clothing and white goods. I think if people try to buy locally most of the time, that's okay. Many of us have limited spare time, and it can be difficult to research everything. If you focus on one area, like food, then that's better than not trying at all.

Also, I couldn't have made hse choices when I was younger and had a far lower income. I had to budget very carefully at some points, and price was the main factor then. Some people aren't in a position to choose buying local if there's a price difference, and will only do so if it happens to be the cheapest option, which it often isn't.