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What are some US brands to avoid?

157 replies

kungfoofighting · 07/03/2025 10:32

Following on from suggestions to boycott US products, it seems a lot of brands might be US-owned with a lot of consumers not realising.

Like Mondolez owning Cadbury for example.

What are some others?

OP posts:
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ObelixtheGaul · 09/03/2025 10:02

Fangisnotacoward · 08/03/2025 22:31

Aldi also do a version called "Racer".

Sainsbury's do a pack of five 'nutty bars'. Very similar and cheaper than the equivalent snickers.

Dustmylemonlies · 09/03/2025 10:04

Unilever and Proctor and Gamble have a huge UK presence and employ lots of UK workers, if you're going to boycott them then all you are likely to do is weaken the UK economy.....

ObelixtheGaul · 09/03/2025 10:11

Dustmylemonlies · 09/03/2025 10:04

Unilever and Proctor and Gamble have a huge UK presence and employ lots of UK workers, if you're going to boycott them then all you are likely to do is weaken the UK economy.....

Unilever is a British company. It has a base in the US, but it is fully British owned. Prior to 2020 it was British-Dutch. It has never been American owned but it has had factories there since 1899.

Bohemond23 · 09/03/2025 10:13

kungfoofighting · 07/03/2025 10:39

Oh yes, good point – and lots of smaller brands come under the P&G umbrella.

There is Unilever – I understand this is based in the Wirral but will double check!

Unilever is Anglo Dutch. I used to work for them so have always bought Persil and not Ariel (owned by P&G) etc etc

Theunamedcat · 09/03/2025 11:09

Leafy74 · 08/03/2025 22:45

The one you have was probably made by forced labour in China.

I don't have one personally but the point still stands we can't do anything about the past we need to change the future

ByQuaintAzureWasp · 09/03/2025 11:16

araiwa · 07/03/2025 10:40

Easiest one is to stop using Amazon for anything

Problem with that is a lot ok UK companies will go out of business

ByQuaintAzureWasp · 09/03/2025 11:28

l3tsdanc3 · 09/03/2025 02:07

We have been doing it a few weeks now - not everything because that's unrealistic, but every little helps! Hardest thing was finding alternatives to Heinz beans and ketchup! Household products etc very easy if you buy Unilever instead. And yes I have to use Microsoft at work but I have no choice, but at home we use Linux and duck duck go (American but better for privacy) and yes I'm using an iPhone but at least it's second hand and I don't plan on buying another one any time soon anyway. I'll carry on spending money and contributing to the economy, just hopefully boosting British and European companies instead.

Tiptree, a very old British company make ketchup and lots of other foods. Their ketchup is the best as far as quality goes, in hubbies opinion. For sale in a lot of supermarkets.

kungfoofighting · 09/03/2025 11:33

ByQuaintAzureWasp · 09/03/2025 11:16

Problem with that is a lot ok UK companies will go out of business

You can usually buy from sellers listed on amazon directly from their own website – they’ll get a bigger cut of the revenue and often it’s cheaper for the customer too (as there are no platform fees to cover)

OP posts:
saynotoOrange · 09/03/2025 11:35

DazedDragon · 09/03/2025 08:59

It's tricky boycotting some of these products as there manufactured in the UK so boycotting would affect UK workers too.

It's best to make small swaps. If everyone changed just ONE thing from a US brand to support a UK independent brand then it would have a huge impact on the UK economy.

If you are moving from one UK manufactured good to another (most own brands are), the impact is negligible so I would not worry too much.

Also as others have mentioned, you don't have to be perfect. If you already own iPhones etc you don't have to ditch them as it's already a sunk cost. When they break then that's the time to make that decision. If you have streaming services, go down to one and switch around rather than having all of them. Use other search engines like duck duck go whenever you can. These small things do matter, even if all it means is that we feel better about ourselves and our local small businesses sell a few more items. Rome wasn't built in a day.

With regards to Mumsnet, you don't need to boycott but perhaps with this thread, Mumsnet might think about swapping providers, there are alternatives. Many are still US but a few are less awful than Amazon.

For all those 'whataboutery' posters, you don't have to join in, no one is forcing you. But making out that some how these Amazon jobs are worth saving instead of creating jobs in independent or domestic chain shops is frankly bizarre.

And Amazon are often not the cheapest. They rely on us to no longer bothering to check prices and opt for convenience instead. There are alternative for books too, second hand online, charity, The works and of course libraries!

And if course once again, you don't have to be perfect or do loads or in fact anything! But I would appreciate if you are in the latter group, can you start your own thread! 😂

saynotoOrange · 09/03/2025 11:40

BorgQueen · 08/03/2025 22:08

Are you going to remove any US investments in your pension funds?
You know, the 70% that’s part of a global portfolio.
You’ll be invested in US Treasury bills , Apple, Microsoft, Tesla, Amazon, Facebook etc. without even realising it if you contribute to a pension.

Yes, I have gone through my investments and I have indeed removed US funds and switched. I appreciate not everyone can do that or have access. UK funds are undervalued so not a bad time to move anyway!

But I will once again say you don't have to be perfect or do every single thing.

BowTiesPinkTail · 09/03/2025 11:51

Also just to point out those saying they will ditch iphones - what exactly are your alternatives? Android is an American owned piece of software - the handset may not be but the software powering your Chinese etc handset is. At least apple are currently continuing to defy the tangerine traitor and his cyborg sidekick with regard to dei

kungfoofighting · 09/03/2025 11:55

BowTiesPinkTail · 09/03/2025 11:51

Also just to point out those saying they will ditch iphones - what exactly are your alternatives? Android is an American owned piece of software - the handset may not be but the software powering your Chinese etc handset is. At least apple are currently continuing to defy the tangerine traitor and his cyborg sidekick with regard to dei

I think iphones have been brought up mostly by those who have haunted the thread saying it’s all pointless, why bother, bet you’ve got an iphone, etc.

OP posts:
DazedDragon · 09/03/2025 11:55

saynotoOrange · 09/03/2025 11:35

If you are moving from one UK manufactured good to another (most own brands are), the impact is negligible so I would not worry too much.

Also as others have mentioned, you don't have to be perfect. If you already own iPhones etc you don't have to ditch them as it's already a sunk cost. When they break then that's the time to make that decision. If you have streaming services, go down to one and switch around rather than having all of them. Use other search engines like duck duck go whenever you can. These small things do matter, even if all it means is that we feel better about ourselves and our local small businesses sell a few more items. Rome wasn't built in a day.

With regards to Mumsnet, you don't need to boycott but perhaps with this thread, Mumsnet might think about swapping providers, there are alternatives. Many are still US but a few are less awful than Amazon.

For all those 'whataboutery' posters, you don't have to join in, no one is forcing you. But making out that some how these Amazon jobs are worth saving instead of creating jobs in independent or domestic chain shops is frankly bizarre.

And Amazon are often not the cheapest. They rely on us to no longer bothering to check prices and opt for convenience instead. There are alternative for books too, second hand online, charity, The works and of course libraries!

And if course once again, you don't have to be perfect or do loads or in fact anything! But I would appreciate if you are in the latter group, can you start your own thread! 😂

Agree with this!

I don't do Apple products anyway, and I don't do Amazon (and totally agree they really aren't the cheapest anyway!!).

People just need to think about what they CAN do and not what they can't. Some people just like focusing on negatives! I'm obnoxiously optimistic! :)

TooBigForMyBoots · 09/03/2025 13:48

PeppercornAnn · 09/03/2025 09:18

Isn’t Zara owned by Spanish Inditex?

Yes it is Spanish.
Nestle are Swiss.
Gale's Honey is British.

Your list is not accurate@AnxiouslyAwaitingSpring. Where did you find it?

Plantatreetoday · 09/03/2025 16:12

Horriblevirusagain · 09/03/2025 09:01

Hilarious post 🤣🤣🤣 As if USA gives a fig and won't make any difference to them. How about stop buying Halal that would be far better to stop animals being tortured than not buying Ben and Jerry's!!!

No one is stopping MNs doing both 🙂

Or even stop buying dead ( well killed ) animals altogether! Even better

Ravenwitch · 09/03/2025 18:20

M&S baked beans are British made. Also their tomato ketchup. Stokes is a great British made. Agree about Tiptree. For jams find local makers.
I have an iPhone and kindle and won’t be changing.

AnxiouslyAwaitingSpring · 09/03/2025 19:30

@TooBigForMyBoots Your list is incorrect! Do your research!!!

AnxiouslyAwaitingSpring · 09/03/2025 19:34

@TooBigForMyBoots Gale's Honey is now owned by Hain Celestial - an American owned company who also own Hartley's jam, Sun pat, Yorkshire Provender, Covent Garden soups, Ella's Kitchen etc etc

What are some US brands to avoid?
What are some US brands to avoid?
Leafy74 · 09/03/2025 19:36

All that will be achieved here is Mumsnetters will get the smug sense of moral superiority and lots of British jobs will be lost.

Globalisation is so embedded it is impossible to untangle ourselves from its web.

AnxiouslyAwaitingSpring · 09/03/2025 19:39

Leafy74 · 09/03/2025 19:36

All that will be achieved here is Mumsnetters will get the smug sense of moral superiority and lots of British jobs will be lost.

Globalisation is so embedded it is impossible to untangle ourselves from its web.

Exactly! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

Berlinlover · 09/03/2025 19:47

I really couldn’t be bothered to be honest.

BashfulClam · 09/03/2025 20:10

Great I work for a company with an HQ in the US. We are specialists in out field so hopefully people realise we aren’t responsible for Trump.

TooBigForMyBoots · 09/03/2025 22:26

AnxiouslyAwaitingSpring · 09/03/2025 19:30

@TooBigForMyBoots Your list is incorrect! Do your research!!!

Gales Honey is owned by Premier Foods.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gale%27s

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Premier_Foods

TooBigForMyBoots · 09/03/2025 22:39

For those afraid of missing their UPFs, Premier Foods have you covered.Grin

Ambrosia, Mr. Kipling, Oxo, Angel Delight, Sharwoods, Homepride and many more. Fill yer arteries.Grin

Chungai · 18/03/2025 17:12

This has made me realise I don't buy many American brands which is good!

A good rule of thumb is just don't buy it unless you absolutely have to.

If you do, buy secondhand.

If you can't buy secondhand, buy ethically or locally. Buy the best quality you can afford so it lasts longer.

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