Flagging the retail heist of Americana
An owner of a successful regional retail chain stood in front of an American flag hanging from a wall.
In the social media post, he held a pair of pants with a drawstring at the waist.
In the comments section, at least two followers responded with, “USA! USA! USA!”
Meanwhile, in a separate post, an employee of the company emerged through a doorway flanked by an American flag. He carried gray sweatshirts with a bald eagle graphic that evoked the Great Seal of the United States, one of the earliest symbols of American independence.
But the palpable patriotism proved problematic: Neither the pants nor the sweatshirts was made in the United States. In fact, most of the company’s products are imported.
'The hypocrisy is pretty strong’
It’s hardly the first time that an American retailer put dollars and cents ahead of the Stars and Stripes. Here’s looking at you, Old Navy and Under Armour.
Of course, companies have the right to import products, which they often do in pursuit of cheaper labor or less regulation. But they should be honest enough with themselves and their customers not to invoke Americana when they make a conscious decision to source products offshore.
It’s misleading to consumers, who deserve some blame for not reading country of origin labels closely enough.
And it’s an insult to those companies — Stay raises its hand — dedicated to Made in USA. It’s the retail equivalent of stolen valor in the military.
Cody Benjamin co-founded the brand Devium, which makes every part of its products domestically, on Flag Day 2015 with his mother, Sheri.
“Yeah, I think the hypocrisy is pretty strong with these other brands that are trying to sell us Americana, and sell us this American dream but they’re making everything overseas,” he said in a Devium video on Facebook.
Based in Truckee, Calif., Devium is among some 200 retailers and manufacturers on our Made in USA Shopping Directory.
‘Mostly’ made in USA
I reached out to the customer service department of the company cited in the opening of this post. I asked what the company means when its products are labeled as “Made from USA components.”
The response was the typical sort of tortured rationalization that has become the norm among the phony-Americana set.
“When it says made with USA components, the product is mostly made in the US by being designed, cut and dyed here,” came the response. “Then it is sewn and assembled overseas. However, they are USA materials!”
In another social media post, when asked if a product was American made, the company offered a strained, “Everything is thought of and designed in” the American city where it operates.
While we’re being thoughtful, let me suggest that companies either make their products in the United States or stop disingenuously wrapping themselves in the American flag.