“Made in China” seems to continue to be a taboo phrase when purchasing goods. The fact is, more so than not luxury brands outsource all or a large part of their production to Asia. Whether hybrid or completely outsourced, Asia’s production capabilities are objectively a great way for businesses to scale. This blog hopes to destigmatize “Made in China/Asia” since a product’s origins does not always equate to a higher or lesser standard of quality. In fact, we argue that Asian production capabilities are simply excellent and, like in any other region of the world, there’s excellent to poor quality production that can be found.
Buying 100 % Locally Made
There is merit and thoughtfulness to not wanting to purchase made in Asia or specifically China. The main reason being labor conditions. The other is a sincere desire to own something locally crafted- small, unique production. Yet, many businesses need an outsourcing model to replicate efficiently the goods they want to offer. While there’s certainly a function of bringing down the cost of production, there’s the aspect of your local production source simply not existing for the items and designs they’d like to create. Meaning, factories, labor force, technologies are not accessible or simply inexistent, especially in relation to a business’ budget. In a globalized world, having both local and global options are just increasingly the norm and there’s value to having more options than not.
Brands that Outsource
When it comes to high quality goods, this geographical region is excelling in creating amazing items. This is the reason we have fashion brands that openly choose to make their most or some products there. Think of Balenciaga, Fossil, Burberry, Gucci, Prada, Saint Laurent, David Yurman, Miu Miu, even Tiffany has a hybrid model, and many more. Prada openly says “Made in Italy? Who cares? You must embrace the world if you want to live now.” It makes sense that these companies still provide a lot of local value. Production might be outsourced, but the types of jobs people in rich countries typically search for are high-skill employment. Meaning these brands create marketing, administrative, IT, executive, creative, and many other types of jobs.
The Value of Replicating
Now, there is also preference when purchasing. In your search, you might want a unique, hand-crafted item that a local artist makes small quantities of. Customization is big now as well, with clients searching to create their own designs. And yet, there will always be an occasion you might have to buy 5 of the exact same items for a holiday occasion. Then in some months, you might want to repeat that same order. This is the value bulk-producing stores offer. You want the exact same item that will be invariable and available no matter the timeline.
A Globalized Economy
Beyond jewelry and clothing, most of our items are created in a hybrid process of in-house design to outsource production model. Think of furniture, home decor, cars, and more. The interconnectivity of doing business is unstoppable and while your priority can most certainly be to purchase 100% locally made goods, there just might be models of other brands you also fancy that have hybrid style production. Innovation and design have value as well as craft. This is why intellectual properties exist and are important.
Europe versus the US
While the US has continued to grow in the service industry, Europe has had a long-standing manufacturing history since the Industrial Revolution. It is also more common to see an emphasis on vocational training programs that produce a workforce skilled in manufacturing.
Conclusion: De-stigmatizing outsourcing
We are living in a time where it can be said we are oversaturated with options. Therefore, this fret over outsourcing is inflated. There are beyond a myriad of options to choose from that will cater to your price and production preferences. We argue this is a positive trait as it continues to allow the market to push and pull between local and global options which in turn benefit clients’ needs.
¡Salud y Éxito!
Daniela Barquet
Daniela Barquet is the 4th generation owner of her family's jewelry store located in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico since 1965. The business tradition was started by her great-grandfather, Issac Barquet, in 1920. Daniela graduated from Boston University with a Bachelor's in the History of Art and Architecture and a Minor in Italian Studies. Daniela continues to grow under the mentorship of her father, Natalio Barquet Perez, who is a renowned, certified jeweler in Puerto Rico.
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Daniela Barquethttps://coquieloriginal.com/author/nataliobarquetgmail-com/
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Daniela Barquethttps://coquieloriginal.com/author/nataliobarquetgmail-com/
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Daniela Barquethttps://coquieloriginal.com/author/nataliobarquetgmail-com/
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Daniela Barquethttps://coquieloriginal.com/author/nataliobarquetgmail-com/
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