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What do consumers think of 'Country of Origin' products?



A study of Country of Origin products and consumer habits show that consumers prefer global brands for electronics and local brands for food.

The Nielsen Global Brand-Origin Survey looked at consumer spending habits, across many countries, covering factors such as range, price, function, and quality (Finchannel.com, 16 May 2016). The research examined whether people prefer goods produced by global brands (multinational companies) or goods only produced by companies operating in the respondent’s own country – the country of origin.

British respondents (59%) indicated that the brand’s origin is as important as the product’s benefits, while 58% said the country of origin is as important as price, with 53% saying that it is as important as quality.

Over half of British respondents (55%) prefer to buy local brands because they support local businesses, which helps the local economy. About 41% of respondents say that local brands are more trustworthy and 36% say that local brands are more attuned to their personal taste and needs.

The research examined 40 product categories to see which ones consumers are most influenced by when purchasing country of origin products – the MADE IN X logo. British consumers are most likely to prefer global brands (an average of 43%) for cars, cameras, video equipment, and computers. However British consumers prefer local brands for food and drinks: 59% prefer local milk, 54% prefer local meat, and 51% prefer local vegetables.

Factors such as price, deals, familiarity, and variety are more important to consumers when choosing global brands. However product benefits, environmentally-friendly considerations, and national pride are even bigger factors for consumers when buying local brands.

Ben Schubert of Nielsen UK said that there were three distinct product classes in global versus local preferences across all countries in the study. There is (1) a strong global preference for electronic products, driven by quality, (2) a strong local preference for food, driven by freshness and safety perceptions, and (3) a relative indifference for fashion, clothing, and cleaning products.

The conclusion is that the country of origin, with the slogan MADE IN X – matters – for some products.









MARTINA NICOLLS is the author of:- The Shortness of Life: A Mongolian Lament (2015), Liberia’s Deadest Ends (2012), Bardot’s Comet (2011), Kashmir on a Knife-Edge (2010) and The Sudan Curse (2009).

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