Made in America

When you buy something at a store or local retail chain do you ever wonder where it came from?  If you are a frequent shopper at Wal-Mart the first thing you’ll notice are the awesome low prices.  But do those low prices come at a higher cost in the end?  In this article we will explore the benefits and the drawbacks of items that are manufactured overseas versus in America.  We will use Vera Bradley Handbags and purses as one example of this.

            As I am driving down the road I notice a Wal-Mart to my right.  Well, who could miss the massive blue and white building that’s the equivalent to 3 football fields?  All the cars lined up streaming to get into the place.  I decide I need to make a stop even though I don’t really need anything but who knows maybe there is a once in a lifetime super spectacular deal that I don’t know about.  Ok, maybe a little too much wishful thinking on my part (but you never know).  So as I am strolling through the long isles that seem to go on further than my eyes can see like some sort of parallel universe in deep space;  all the shelves are stocked chock full of name brand products and all seem to be beckoning my name softly and seductively.  Then I see the price underneath the bottle of lotion I picked up.  The price was at least $2.00 lower than where I usually get it and has more fluid ounces.  As I look on and see other familiar products that habitually grace my bathroom cabinets, I see that they too are priced cheaper.  It must be a retail miracle!  How is that I can get this same name brand item and be cheaper than all the other stores?  Is it just the shear power that is Wal-Mart?  Do they just want me to have the best deal possible because they actually care about me as their consumer and community citizen?  Watching their commercials on television you might actually believe that.  But in reality Wal-Mart is just like any other major corporation.  They want your money and lots of it.  But their prices are cheaper then all of their competitors?  Wouldn’t they charge more if that is all they want?  Well, they are, actually.  It’s no secret that Wal-Mart is a major importer of goods from overseas.  They buy toys, clothes, purses and handbags from manufacturers in China.  It is estimated that Wal-Mart marks up their goods from China up to nearly 900% over their cost.   So that $5.00 shirt you bought actually may have only cost Wal-Mart ¢.50.  So what’s the big deal as long as I get my stuff cheaper? 

            Well the big deal is that not only are American jobs being shipped overseas but quality has become major issue.  It’s not just Wal-Mart that practices these strategies.  There is a popular brand of handbags, purses and accessories called Vera Bradley that has made the move to overseas production.  As a Vera Bradley handbag carrier I have definitely noticed a striking difference in the make and quality of their handbags now.  The products formerly made in Virginia, are now made overseas in China.  Although on their website they say they are located (not made in) Fort Wayne, Indiana.  I did look at the tag in a handbag I received a couple years ago and it was clearly marked MADE IN USA.  However, as I inspected the handbag I received a few months ago, the handbags tag has the very familiar MADE IN CHINA words that I have grown more accustomed to. 

Ok so what?  Is there really a difference between the two handbags?  I would have to answer that question with a definite YES!!!   Nearly all Vera Bradley Handbags or purses are washable (one of the main reasons I liked them) but washing my new handbag has been a catastrophe!  The color of the handbag faded very noticeable amounts when compared with my ‘Made in the USA’ handbags.    These handbags do not come cheap.  The prices of these handbags have gone up in fact.  Now why would Vera Bradley make prices higher when they are getting their handbags cheaper?  This is a question that I would LOVE to ask the founder.

Another issue I have noticed is poor fabric structure.  I am accustomed to getting my handbags monogrammed with my initials, and have noticed the handbags fabric pulling apart.  I asked my Monogrammer about this issue and he said it’s because the handbag I had was cheaply made.  The monogrammer showed the differences between higher thread count fabrics constructing other handbags versus my expensive Vera handbag.  He also explained that fabric tends to get brittle when submitted to changes in temperature.  As these handbags were shipped from overseas in a container reaching over 300 degrees, the handbags fabric basically bakes.  Mind you that, especially in this economy, this handbag was a luxury item for me and was NOT sold to me discounted in anyway.  So I paid full price for what I thought was a superior quality product (like it had been in the past) and it was now cheaply and inferiorly made!  My Monogrammer also explained to me how hard it was to embroider anything from Vera Bradley because of the sub standard quality the company now allows when manufacturing their products.  He showed me a Vera Bradley beach towel he recently sewed out that had become ruined because one of his workers had put a piece of tape for the placement of a monogram on it.  The tape actually picked out all of the fibers of the Vera towel.  I looked at the towel and it was very easy to just pinch out the fibers.  He is now considering not taking any Vera Bradley items to sew since they sew out so poorly.  It’s obvious that Vera Bradley doesn’t think their customers deserve the best quality for their prices.  But they aren’t the only ones.  Major corporations all over the world are businesses firsts and only mostly concerned with the bottom line. 

            So what can we do about it?  Well you the customer can do more than you think.  After all it’s you that has the power.  You can decide how to spend your hard earned money.  Do a little research on your favorite products and see where they are manufactured.  I know I have purchases my last Vera Bradley handbag or purse.  I have now switched to Jody Coyote, Tallulah, and Marc Chantal handbags which are very proudly made in the U.S.  I can happily say that I am on my third year with my Marc Chantal handbag and it still looks brand new, more than I can say about my faded month old Vera Bradley handbag.  If you can’t find products made in the USA at least don’t pay top dollar for the crap from overseas.  Shop smart!