Generation Y places significantly less value on Australian-made goods than older generations, according to the recent Retail and Shopper Insight study conducted by TNS. 
 
According to TNS director of consumer research Chris Kirby, 48 per cent of Gen Y Australians state they ‘always try to buy Australian-made products’, which is significantly lower than the older generations.
 
“Only 48 per cent of Gen Y is opting to buy Australian made where possible, compared to 55 per cent of Gen X and above,” said Kirby.
 
“The older generation of the True Believers (aged 60 to 78 years) are the most ardent supporters of home-grown goods, with 69 per cent stating they always try to buy Australian made.”
 
Overall, 53 per cent of Australians state they always try to buy Australian-made products. 
 
“While the value of buying Australian-made goods is less important to younger generation shoppers, we are seeing an inverse effect in terms of buying supermarket-own brand products,” said Kirby.
 
In the supermarket, the popularity of own brand products is on the way up, with 13 per cent of Australians preferring to buy supermarkets’ own brands, while two per cent is not prepared to buy them at all. 
 
Currently, one-third of Australian consumers are buying own brand products as frequently as branded products, and in the future 54 per cent of Australian shoppers expect to buy more own brand products than branded goods.
 
“The attraction of own-brand goods is part of consumer response to the recession to ‘trade down’ to lower priced goods,” said Kirby.
 
“Our Retail and Shopper Insight study found that 57 per cent of shoppers state price to be the most important factor when purchasing.”
 
While this may be true on the surface, the study found that the underlying factor most powerful in the shopper’s decision-making process is the perceived value for money.
 
“Encouragingly for retailers, it is more about the bang consumers are getting for their buck rather than simply the lowest price,” concluded Kirby.                       
 
The Retail and Shopper Insight study was conducted in March 2009 and surveyed 900 consumers.