“Made in U.S.A.” Makes a Difference to Sportsmen, but Price Still a Big Factor
FERNANDINA BEACH, FL — When HunterSurvey.com set out to determine how much weight the “Made in U.S.A.” tag carried with sportsmen when making purchases of outdoor equipment, they found most respondents agreed that U.S.-made products were of better quality and it was important to buy them. They also discovered there is only so much most hunters willing to pay for that label.
When asked how important it is to buy hunting equipment that is made in the U.S.A., 94 percent of hunters said it was very or somewhat important. At the same time, 63 percent of those hunters believe U.S.-made hunting gear is better than equipment made overseas.
So how much more are sportsmen willing to pay to support American jobs? If the “Made in U.S.A.” product is five percent or less in additional cost, 89 percent of hunters report they will buy the American-made product. But after that, numbers begin to drop sharply, and once the U.S. product exceeds 20 to 30 percent in cost, only approximately one-third of hunters say they are willing to pay the difference.
“All things being equal, sportsmen appreciate American quality and are certainly eager to support American jobs; however, it doesn’t take much of a price difference before economic realities set in and hunters are forced to make important decisions about how much they will spend,’” said Rob Southwick, president of Southwick Associates, which designs and conducts the surveys at HunterSurvey.com. “There is a reason why imported products take up so much retail space. Hunters and anglers, like all other consumers, want to get more for their limited dollars. As long as U.S. production costs remain high, whether related to taxes or other factors, imported products will continue to own a large share of the U.S. market.”
To help continually improve, protect and advance the shooting sports and outdoor recreation, all sportsmen and sportswomen are encouraged to participate in the surveys at HunterSurvey.com and ShooterSurvey.com. Each month, participants who complete the survey are entered into a drawing for one of five $100 gift certificates to the sporting goods retailer of their choice.
Article courtesy of www.southwickassociates.com
