Buy American Mention of the Week, 3-10-13

[Omaha Steve]

From email.

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Buy American Mention of the Week


Advocating all-American e-commerce

By Roger Simmermaker

March 10, 2013

One undeniable American reality is that e-commerce retail sales continue to grow year after year. In 2009, Americans spent $209 billion through online sales, but that figure ballooned to $256 billion for 2011. And third quarter e-commerce sales for 2012 were 17.3% higher than the same quarter in 2011, pointing to an even bigger positive sales trend for last year, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce.

There probably aren’t any sales figures available, however, for how many American dollars were spent at e-commerce sites that sell only American-made goods. The main reason for that is likely because the U.S. Department of Commerce doesn’t have a list of the e-commerce sites that refuse to offer imported items from China and other foreign countries. Also, few Americans know where to go on the Internet to find these patriotic e-commerce sites either.

The good news is that the number of patriotic Americans who have decided to sell only made-in-USA products on their web sites continues to grow. And along with these types of web sites that are already up and running on the Internet, I continue to receive questions via email from still more Americans on a fairly regular basis asking how to do it, if I think it is a good idea, and how to contact and network with other American business heroes that have already done it.

If you happen to be one of those patriotic consumers who want to buy only American goods when you shop online, or you’re looking for information from others who have established this type of business because you’re interested in doing the same thing, then you’ll find this article helpful. Many American-only e-commerce sites offer a range of goods in several categories, where others are more specific (companies that sell only American-made toys, for example).

Among the American businesses that sell only domestically-made goods on their websites include American Aisle (www.americanaisle.com), Choose Made in USA (www.choosemadeinusa.com), America’s Virtual General Store (www.americasvirtualgeneralstore.com), Made in USA Forever (www.madeinusaforever.com), Made in USA Products Store (www.madeinusaproductsstore.com), Petriot (www.petriot.com), Strictly USA (www.strictlyusa.com), and The Union Shop (www.theunionshop.com).

Other American e-commerce sites that also have actual brick-and-mortar stores that sell only American-made goods include Hometown USA Stores (www.hometownusastores.com) in Nassau, New York, Made in America Store (www.madeinamericastore.com) in Elma, New York, Norton’s U.S.A. (www.nortonsusa.com) in Barrington, Illinois, San Antonio Shoes (www.sasshoes.com), and Union House (www.unionhouse.com) in Wyoming, Misnnesota. Another store that will be opening in Blue Springs, Missouri the near future is called American Made Stores (www.americanmadestores.com).

Then there are the more-specific e-commerce sites that sell only American-made toys like All-American Toys (www.all-americantoys.com), Kathy’s Kreations (www.kathyskreations.com), and Toys of USA (www.toysofusa.com). Websites like All American Clothing Company (www.allamericanclothing.com) sell only American-made apparel and accessories.

This is not a complete list, and I’m sure I failed to mention more than just a few that I know about but did not come to mind while writing this article. And of course I’m not aware of every single American-made e-commerce site that exists, so feel free to email me at [e-mail] about any that you think I should mention in the future.

Hopefully the number of ecommerce sites that sell only American-made goods will grow along with more significant sales so that the U.S. Department of Commerce will have good reason to track those sales. Until then, we can do our part in making that happen and help the U.S. economy grow at the same time by patronizing websites like these that are run by patriotic American entrepreneurs who have taken on big financial risks in unchartered economic waters and therefore demonstrated that they deserve your business.

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Roger Simmermaker is the author of How Americans Can Buy American and My Company ‘Tis of Thee: 50 Patriotic American Companies American Consumers Should Know About, and writes "Buy American Mention of the Week" articles for wnd.com and his website www.howtobuyamerican.com. Roger has a degree in Electronics Engineering Technology, is president of his local Machinists Union, has been a frequent guest on Fox News, CNN, and MSNBC, and has been quoted in The Wall Street Journal, USA Tod