Take a browse through the stalls of any weekend market and you will be pushed to find any single item that is made in Australia.
Everything seems to come from the China. I noticed this stall at Queen Victoria Market in Melbourne. The sign on his stall said “Made in Australia “ so I asked him about it, and he said, that he and his wife make all the garments in their idle hours and sell them at the market.
He told me that he has a niche market in clothing because importers bring their stuff based on price, while his stuff is made with comfort for the consumer in mind.
The stock at his stall consisted of ladies underwear, leggings and tops and skirts.
I don’t have to speculate if his price was competitive compared to Asian imports.
The market is a great diviner of the truth.
Being Australian made is a sale maker, all other things being even, but the public won’t pay more than for the imported product of similar quality.
The middle aged couple running the stall is almost an extinct species in retail and one of the few remaining small manufacturers.
Another few years will spell the end.
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