By Brian Cleeve – Daily Post Columnist
Just today, I saw another one of those signs that chides Canadians for buying foreign products.
And, it makes me laugh!
The bumper sticker comes care of the CAW and suggests that if Canadians want to keep their jobs, they had better buy Canadian goods instead of imports.
So who could argue with that sentiment. Everyone wants Canadians to have high paying jobs. And, doesn’t it just make sense to support the people in our own country over those in another land.
Well certainly it does. However, one might suspect a bit of hypocrisy here.
I noticed the bumper sticker on a car parked recently at one of the big box stores and saw the car’s driver and occupants go into the store and so naturally I assumed they would be buying Canadian-made products.
Well, lo and behold, the man bought a shirt that was made in Taiwan or China or someplace else and his wife bought clothing for the kids that was manufactured outside Canada’s borders.
I inquired of this couple about the incongruity of their actions, but they saw nothing wrong in what they had done.
“I go for the best price,” the man said.
“But why wouldn’t you buy clothing made in Canada?” I asked. His reply was that it was too expensive.
So then I asked him about the sentiment on his bumper sticker, but he had no answer.
I guess it’s a case of “do as I say, not as I do.”
The audacity of these people really angers me. They ride around with a sticker on their vehicle, which may or may not have been built in Canada, chiding people about buying foreign products, then turn around and do the same things themselves.
Just the other day, I saw the same bumper sticker adorning a car whose occupants had crossed over into Michigan to do some “major shopping.” I guess it’s alright for them to buy products in a foreign land, to get a bargain, but not such a great idea for other folks.
I’ve heard people argue that people should buy Canadian when the price and quality are equal with goods that are not produced here.
This is puzzling. It seems to be me that if Canadian-made goods and services were as good and as reasonably priced as their foreign counterparts, the foreign goods would never had got a foothold in this country.
Car companies from other lands were able to sell their products here because they offered consumers something they wanted.
So, we need to make a decision in this country.
Are we going to pay more to buy Canadian clothing, produce and other products, or are we simply going to opt for the lowest priced goods?
And I wish that those people who aren’t willing to put their money where their mouths are, for example to pay more and buy Canadian, would have the decency not to place these ridiculous bumper stickers on their cars.
They look so stupid!
Rob
Brian Cleeve
Aaron Hall
Michael Cowtan
Jay Smith
CKDP Staff
Greg Hetherington
Marlee Robinson
Chris Prince
Couldn’t agree more.
People need to give some serious thought to their priorities.
Just to add a local twist to your Canadian theme…
WalMart makes it easy to buy non-local and non-Canadian. The Internet makes it even easier (and in many cases cheaper).
Inside the WalMart HQ in Bentonville, AR hangs a banner that says “You can’t out-Amazon Amazon”. – WalMart is aware that they are not really the big kid on the block anymore.
Our local businesses complain about big-box stores setting up shop in our neighbourhoods, but don’t worry much about the Internet which is setting up shop right inside our living rooms, offices, and front pockets (mobile).
People need to wake up and realize they hurt themselves every time they click “Buy Now” on an out-of-area website. Business owners need to realize that people want to buy what they want, when they want. They need to be selling online on our schedule, not 9-5 while the rest of us are at work.
They need to get on the consumer’s schedule, and worry less about their own. They need to be available when and where we’re ready to buy.
What the CAW is not telling you is that Toyota, Honda and Suzuki are producing cars in Ontario, and that they, as well as the Detroit three, are being supplied by parts manufacturers here also.
All six producers have been hit by the economic crisis, but until recently it was only the Detroit three who were regularly in the news seeking assistance or downsizing.
The Japanese companies were expanding their operations in Canada to meet the growing demand for vehicles that N Americans actually want to buy.
The Fords and GMs of this world can boast all they want about their efficiency, their line-up of fuel efficient cars, and all the rest of it, but in the end it is the consumer who makes the decision how to spend their dollars, and the Canadian consumer has already decided who makes the best cars.
And that is how it should be.
Maybe the fact that Canadian goods are more expensive is a blessing in disguise. Maybe, just maybe, people would be more careful and buy quality versus quantity. Instead of buying $20 worth of dollar store garbage, we could spend $20 on a quality item made in Canada that is actually useful for more than 3 days and won’t end up in a landfill.
Wow. It’s been a long time since I’ve read an article about the Buy Canadian movement that didn’t make me want to scream. Thank you. The comments are great too. Thoughtful.
In my business (BuyCanadianFirst.ca), we address this dilemma on a daily basis with the emails we receive from consumers. What Canadians need to understand is that buying Canadian isn’t about protectionism. It just isn’t possible anyway to buy ONLY canadian-made goods. Globalization has brought us products that have improved our lives that I’m certain nobody would want to give up… coffee, chocolate, olive oil…
The idea is that when faced with a decision to purchase a product that has a Made-in-Canada version and a foreign-made version, is to seriously consider the Canadian one. Why? Because of the ripple effect that that decision will have on thousands on Canadians lives. Not to mention the environment and our economy.
But it’s an uphill battle. On the one hand, we have manufacturers who are starting to notice this wonderful and very targeted niche market of Canadian who are actively seeking their products and on the other hand, these manufacturers are up against their retailers who just want to sell products at the lowest price. Period. No training is done at the store level and no signage appears to make it clear which are the Canadian-made goods. And then there’s us, the consumers. We walk into our favourite stores, sometimes really wanting to buy Canadian. And we tacitly accept whatever products the retailers put on the shelves. Has anyone ever considered that if we, the consumers demanded more Canadian-made products, that the retailers would not have any choice but to comply? WE have the power. Not the retailer. Right? I always thought so.
If that Walmart family you were monitoring had done their homework, they would have found some Canadian-made goods in the Walmart. People would be very surprised to know just how many Canadian-made products are on Walmart shelves. Is it proportional to foreign-made products? Absolutely not. But they are there (at the dollar store too). We, the consumer, just need to know more before walking into the store. This doesn’t just apply to Walmarts. Any retailer who really cares about their clientèle, will be open to the suggestion. If presented properly.
Start your shopping on our website. We’re not a transactional website but we will show you where you can buy the specific products you are interested in. 95% of our members are manufacturers and we are adding new products everyday. You can also read about Buying Canadian on our blog and we’re also on Facebook.
The idea is that when faced with a decision to purchase a product that has a Made-in-Canada version and a foreign-made version, is to seriously consider the Canadian one. Why? Because of the ripple effect that that decision will have on thousands on Canadians lives. Not to mention the environment and our economy. >>>>
It would be impossible to completely purchase only Canadian produced items, for many things it just isn’t cost efficient to do so but just as some people consciously make the choice to buy ‘organic’ etc, I think making an effort to shop locally or Canadian produced isnt only possible but should become expected.
Why is ‘Shop Local’ only reserved for food purchases?
Yes, some items may cost more but perhaps it’s time to get away from the ‘instant gratification’ attitude that we (collective we)have…whatever happened to saving up for a well-made item?
As an artisan, I was recently disheartened by the amount of ‘art’ that I saw being purchased in a local store, ‘art’ that was mass-produced, spray-painted by a machine using a stencil or pre-printed canvas…and a glance at the price of the ‘art’ was even more discouraging…REAL artwork could be purchased for just a little more investment.
I’m not sure whether thats a good thing or not (most artists/artisans are grossly underpricing their work, but thats a rant for another day!) but perhaps a little work on educating people that there are alternatives to mass-produced/imported goods is in order?
~brenda
Ed. Note: Thanks for your comment Brenda. People can check out Brenda’s jewellery at decadence2.com
Thanks for the promo Rob, I didn’t want my post to look ‘spammy’!
I think its up to the individual to decide how to shop but sometimes saving a dollar doesnt really save you a dollar…
~brenda