52 per cent of Australians believe Australian made/sourced products now more important: survey

Results from a new consumer survey, released to coincide with Australian Made Week (24-30 May), has found over half “want to buy locally sourced and produced products.”

The inaugural CommBank Consumer Insights Report focusses on the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on consumer choices.

The survey finds increased patronage of “local online retailers and manufacturers as well as suburban shopping centres and neighbourhood stores,” according to a statement from Commonwealth Bank.

Among findings are that one in four increased their online shopping, with 49 per cent saying they shopped more with domestic online retailers last year, and that 52 per cent valued locally sourced and manufactured products as more important now.

“It remains to be seen if this reflects a permanent desire to support local businesses that experienced difficult times during the pandemic or whether this will fade as people return to workplaces in the CBD and international travel resumes,” the report cautions.

“However, it is noteworthy that a majority of consumers in eight of the ten retail categories covered, and half the patrons of personal care service providers, say that since the pandemic, it has become more important to them to have options to buy products manufactured in Australia.”

The online survey was conducted by ACA Research for the bank in January, with 5,656 respondents.

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