The changes the world and Australia have seen in recent weeks and months due to COVID-19 will never be forgotten. The daily updates we have all had to quickly adapt to, the restrictions we have seen and the modifications we have had to make to our businesses may not have occurred without the sudden pandemic we are all facing.
The restrictions that COVID-19 has placed on international trade have had a major benefit for Australians, and that is our ability to now refocus on Australian-made products. As a result of this pandemic, our manufacturers and businesses have had to immediately modify their products and services to fill the demands on items that were previously purchased from overseas.
This sudden need to adapt has allowed locally made goods to stand out from once crowded overseas competition, which is a change that we should embrace and encourage into the future.
Australian-made products and services have always been world-class however with the immense amount of overseas competition ‘Australian Made’ has always had to heavily compete on its own soil. Consumers will now potentially see the benefits of Australian Made and always try and buy local before looking for an overseas alternative. Being an island nation, it makes sense for us to be as self-sufficient as possible. We should absolutely look forward to importing unattainable goods from overseas; items we cannot manufacture or cannot source ourselves easily, but we should also try and support and build on our ability to operate independently.
Buying Australian Made product has extremely positive outcomes for the country. Employment increases, the economy strengthens and, for the jewellery industry and retail in particular, we keep our doors open. The jewellery industry has a large role to play in encouraging locally made products. We have the ability to encourage consumers to buy from a trusted local retailer who offers personalised service, and assistance when there’s an issue with a piece of jewellery.
The benefits for a consumer to purchase locally made jewellery far outweigh the benefits of purchasing from overseas. It’s now more than ever that we can and should embrace the changes COVID-19 has forced us to make and continue to purchase locally made product. There’s no negative to buying local!