Consumers are encouraged to shop for genuine Aussie products with the launch of the first ever Australian Made Week on 24 May.
The initiative comes after a challenging year for many Australian businesses and aims to celebrate and support local makers and growers around the country, says Australian Made chief executive, Ben Lazzaro.
“When you buy Australian Made products, you are creating jobs now and into the future, and supporting thousands of Australians throughout the supply chain,” he says.
“Manufacturing is an essential part of our economy. Every Australian Made product purchased is directly supporting a sector of 900,000 people and thousands of businesses across the supply chain. One job in manufacturing produces three to four jobs in other parts of the economy.”
Indeed, according to Roy Morgan Research, if every household spent an additional $10 a week on Australian Made products, it would inject an extra $5 billion into the economy each year and create up to 11,000 new jobs.
“Our goal is to encourage people to not only shop Australian made, but to also inspire Australian consumers to reassess shopping habits and prioritise Aussie products. It has been inspiring to see Australians come together in recent times and place a renewed importance on buying local.”
The research also shows that nine out of 10 Australians believe we should be producing more products locally following the Covid pandemic. The same research says that 93 per cent of Australians prefer to buy products made in Australia.
“Australian Made Week is a great opportunity to celebrate all the great things we make and grow, and commit to reassessing our shopping habits and prioritising Aussie products,” says Lazzaro.
Companies can spread the word about Australian Made Week by sharing their favourite Aussie Made products across social channels, weekly newsletters or downloading dedicated Australian Made Week content to post. It’s all about getting the word out and highlighting the importance of shopping Australian Made.
Consumers can get involved by looking for and purchasing products with the green and gold Australian Made, Australian Grown logo. They can also encourage friends and family to get involved in Australian Made Week and share the importance of buying Aussie made. Don’t forget to hashtag #AustralianMade and #AustralianMadeWeek in any social posts you share.
Australian Made ambassador Elyse Knowles says she had enjoyed seeing the wide range of genuine Australian Made goods in the lead-up to the week and meeting fellow entrepreneurs passionate about encouraging people to make the switch to Australian Made.
Knowles runs a building and construction business with her partner Josh Barker and they try to incorporate as many Australian products as possible.
“The premium quality we come across day after day continues to amaze us,” she enthuses. “There are so many talented people in our country―to champion their skills, creativity, work ethic and products is a rewarding way to do business.
“Business has been challenging for many throughout the pandemic. If we can all make an extra effort to keep an eye out for the iconic green and gold Australian Made logo, the benefits will be huge for everyone.”
For Kara Jeffers, founder and owner of Miss Frankie there is no better time than now to support the local makers and growers of our country.
“By partaking in Australian Made Week and encouraging fellow Aussies to buy Australian made products, we pump money back into the economy, create jobs, strengthen local industries and support local communities,” she says.
“For all businesses involved, the aim is to spread the word about Australian Made Week and the importance of supporting local Aussie businesses. Research has found that if everyone spent $10 a week on Aussie made products it would inject a mighty $5 billion dollars in the Australian economy. That’s a small amount for a huge impact.”
Lazarro aims to make the Australian Made Week a permanent initiative.
“Shopping Aussie made products is something everyone should be trying to do on a regular basis, so having a week every year to highlight the importance of doing so would be fantastic.
“In 2021 we will continue to champion Aussie makers and growers and provide best in class country of origin branding for Aussie manufacturers. The instantly recognisable and widely trusted green and gold kangaroo logo is the easiest way for shoppers to identify authentic Aussie products.”
