Get All Access for $5/mo

Fourth of July 'American Made' T-Shirts Having Record Year American Giant CEO Bayard Winthrop said the company excepted a reasonable level of purchasing traffic ahead of the holiday, but it's now on its fourth purchase order to meet demand.

By Madeline Garfinkle

Key Takeaways

  • A recent survey found that 65% of Americans intentionally purchased domestically made goods in the past year, indicating a strong interest in supporting domestic manufacturing.
  • American Giant, a San Francisco-based retailer whose merchandise is made in the U.S., says its $60 shirts, featuring the slogan "American Made," sold out on the first day.

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Pgiam | Getty Images
American Giant's Fourth of July T-shirts sold out on the first day.

A Morning Consult survey from June found that despite rampant inflation, 65% of Americans "intentionally" purchased domestically-produced goods over foreign-produced ones within the past year, with 43% making it a "priority."

One company seeing this trend firsthand is American Giant, a San Francisco-based retailer whose merchandise is made in the U.S. The company says it logged record sales for its Fourth of July T-shirts this year, and the $60 shirts, featuring the slogan "American Made," sold out on the first day, The New York Times reported.

American Giant CEO Bayard Winthrop said the company excepted a reasonable level of purchasing traffic ahead of the holiday, but it's now on its fourth purchase order to meet demand.

While American Giant has been producing its clothing in domestic factories for over a decade, Winthrop says that the recent uptick in interest could possibly be exacerbated by supply chain issues overseas.

"Reshoring," a trend wherein businesses move production that was overseas back to its home country, has garnered traffic over the past year. Bank of America and UBS analysts noted a significant increase in mentions of reshoring during corporate earnings calls in the first quarter of 2023 as compared to the same period last year, CNBC reported.

Factors such as Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the ongoing effects of the pandemic — both of which have caused ongoing disruptions in shipping — have prompted companies to reconsider their sourcing strategies, the outlet noted.

Related: The Man Behind the Hoodie That Started the Made-In-the-USA Apparel Movement

In contrast, many retailers such as Target, Walmart, and Old Navy stock their shelves with imported patriotic-themed merchandise ahead of July Fourth, The Times noted, sparking criticism from some domestic producers regarding the disconnect between their marketing and manufacturing practices.

"If you're leaning into Americana to sell items that aren't American made, I find it disingenuous," Kristen Fanarakis, founder of Los Angeles-based brand Senza Tempo, told the outlet.

Still, the price remains a factor. In the Morning Consult survey, those who said they would be willing to pay more for "Made in America" goods, 73% said they would be unwilling to do so if a product cost 10% more than a foreign-produced equivalent.

Related: FTC Says Clothing Store Lions Not Sheep Was Faking Made in USA Labels

Last month, lawmakers introduced a series of bills called the Level the Playing Field Act 2.0, which was introduced in early June and aims to address issues such as foreign producers moving factories to other countries to circumvent U.S. trade laws.

Madeline Garfinkle

News Writer

Madeline Garfinkle is a News Writer at Entrepreneur.com. She is a graduate from Syracuse University, and received an MFA from Columbia University. 

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Side Hustle

'Hustling Every Day': These Friends Started a Side Hustle With $2,500 Each — It 'Snowballed' to Over $500,000 and Became a Multimillion-Dollar Brand

Paris Emily Nicholson and Saskia Teje Jenkins had a 2020 brainstorm session that led to a lucrative business.

Business News

'I'm Not Trying to Land on Mars': Mark Cuban Takes Dig at Elon Musk to Explain Why His Online Pharmacy Isn't Trying to Make More Money

Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Co. is an online pharmacy co-founded by Cuban and radiologist Alex Oshmyansky.

Business News

Meta Makes $1 Million Dollar Donation to Donald Trump's Inaugural Fund

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg also reportedly gave Trump a pair of Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses.

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.

Business News

'It's Not About You': How to Fire Someone Effectively, According to Kevin O'Leary

O'Leary says that if you can't fire someone, you aren't the right leader for the organization.

Leadership

Should I Stay or Should I Go? 8 Key Points to Navigate the Founder's Dilemma

Here are eight key signs that help founders determine whether to persevere or let go.