Nov 12, 2003 MINNEAPOLIS, MN -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 10/29/2003 -- While many big American retailers continue to increase their off-shore product sourcing, mail order marketing companies continue to search for products made in America. When it comes to sourcing and manufacturing merchandise, the U.S. is still the number one place that catalogers turn to, according to participants in the Catalog Age Benchmark Report on Merchandising.
The U.S. remains the favorite sourcing location for those catalogs surveyed, with 89% rating the States highly as a sourcing locale. U.S. made goods represent, on average, over 70% of dollar sales volume for these surveyed catalogs. The U.S. also remains the most popular place to manufacture or contract for the manufacture of products: Among the 78% of catalog respondents that manufacture or contract for manufacture, nearly all do so in the U.S. The Far East has lost ground with catalogers, with only 19% of respondents manufacturing there, down from 24% in 1999.
To find U.S. made products when trade shows are no longer their best source, many mail order marketers have turned to alternate and grass roots methods, one if which is the National Mail Order Association (NMOA) which sponsors the Made in America - Hot Product Contest. The contest awards 73 manufacturers, artisans/craftspeople and inventors in 19 categories and 50 "Best of State" awards. U.S. Territories are also included in the contest.
The "Made In America" contest is a competition created to help these American product producers get their products introduced to a wide variety of mail-order-type marketers. This includes general mail order operators, catalogers, infomercial and home shopping producers, Web merchants, and direct mailers.
More details on the contest can be found on the Contest Web site at http://www.nmoa.org/contest. Prospective contestants can get an entry form at the National Mail Order Association Web site http://www.nmoa.org/contest, or by sending a self-addressed, stamped envelope to NMOA headquarters, 2807 Polk Street NE, Minneapolis, MN 55418.
Contestants are encouraged to enter early to make the next buying season. Entries must be submitted no later than December 31, 2003, with winners announced early 2004.
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Contact:
John Schulte
National Mail Order Association (NMOA)
612-788-1673
schulte@nmoa.org
