New shoppers guide directs people to products made in PA

As holiday shopping ramps up, Pennsylvania small businesses said growing interest in American-made gifts is giving local manufacturing a boost.

A new national poll showed 81% of shoppers are likely to buy U.S.-made products this year. Several Pennsylvania companies made the annual Made in America Gift Guide, including Crazy Aaron’s Thinking Putty in Norristown.

Allan Snider, marketing director for the company, said they have made their putty in-house since their founding in 1998, and have expanded from a simple desk fidget to a popular toy line featuring magnetic and heat-changing putty and many more variations, driven by constant innovation.

“Our core product is our Thinking Putty, which is a fidget toy that lasts forever,” Snider explained. “It has always been made here in the United States, and you know, we’ve also expanded into other compounds. So your doughs with our Land of Dough, as well as our slime charmers.”

New polling of consumers found 76% of Americans said they prefer to buy products made in the U.S. when they can, largely because they want to support the national economy, and 59% said it helps create American jobs.

The Alliance for American Manufacturing has published its gift guide for 12 years, highlighting companies from all 50 states and encouraging Americans to support local producers. Snider added their employees are from Norristown and Philadelphia, which supports the local economy and stressed buying locally made products further boosts Pennsylvania’s overall economic health.

“Wages do trickle down into the economy, into the local economies, whether it’s shopping at another locally owned shop, or just shopping in general,” Snider pointed out. “It just feeds the economy. It’s cyclical. And we do believe that’s an important part of our business infrastructure.”

Scott Paul, president of the Alliance for American Manufacturing, said despite headlines about tariffs or concerns over prices, the desire to buy American-made products remains overwhelmingly strong. He noted new polling revealed 78% of Americans prefer U.S. made goods and 82% would choose them over similar imports when available.

“There’s been a lot in the news about tariffs and costs and concerns about that,” Paul acknowledged. “But it’s striking to find that Americans still strongly value products that are made in the United States. Want to seek them out, want to see more of them, and feel very strongly about.”

Paul added a large majority of Americans want online products to clearly show where they’re made, with 77% supporting country-of-origin labels, while only 11% oppose them. About 80% of shoppers said such labels help them make better buying decisions. Overall, there is strong backing for prominent origin labeling, especially as most people now shop online.

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