Shop American, Celebrate 250
For USA 250th Anniversary, Shoppers Seek Made-in-USA Brands Despite Higher Costs
Anonymous
As the United States counts down to its 250th birthday on July 4, 2026, shoppers are rethinking what they put in their carts. A 2023 survey found that 65% of Americans actively look for "Made in USA" labels when shopping, up from 54% in 2019, according to Morning Consult. Five brands — ILIA Beauty, Vitamix, New Balance, Igloo, and Purple — are leading the wave of domestic shopping ahead of what organizers call "USA 250."
But buying American is not as simple as it sounds. The Federal Trade Commission requires that "all significant parts and processing" go into a product in the U.S. before it earns an unqualified "Made in USA" label, according to FTC.gov. Some brands meet that bar fully. Others meet it only partly. Here is what shoppers should know about each one.
Five Brands That Make Products on American Soil
Vitamix, based in Olmsted Falls, Ohio, has made blenders in the U.S. for over 100 years. Executive Chairman Jodi Berg has said quality is the main reason the company keeps manufacturing at home, according to Cleveland Business Journal. Igloo, headquartered in Katy, Texas, runs a 1.1 million-square-foot factory and employs more than 1,200 workers. It makes its core cooler line in the U.S.
Purple makes its signature "Hyper-Elastic Polymer" sleep grid at facilities in Grantsville and Alpine, Utah, according to Salt Lake Tribune. ILIA Beauty handles a large share of its formulations and packaging inside the U.S. to keep quality tight. New Balance runs five factories in Massachusetts and Maine, producing more than 4 million pairs of shoes per year on American soil, according to Forbes.
New Balance's 70% Rule and the "Qualified" Label
New Balance does not claim every shoe is fully American-made. The brand labels a shoe "Made in the USA" only when domestic value reaches at least 70%, according to an official New Balance statement. CEO Joe Preston has been transparent about this standard. Shoes that do not hit that threshold are made overseas.
This is called a "qualified" claim — a legal way to say a product is mostly, but not entirely, domestic. The FTC allows it, as long as brands are honest. Since 2021, the FTC can fine companies up to $51,744 per violation for false domestic claims, according to FTC.gov. The stricter rules came after years of "flag-waving" marketing that misled buyers.
Why Made-in-USA Products Cost More at the Register
Keeping manufacturing in the U.S. is expensive. Labor costs run 20% to 30% higher than in Southeast Asian factories, according to the Reshoring Institute. That gap gets passed on to shoppers. A Vitamix blender, for example, can cost two to three times more than a comparable imported model. Experts call this the "patriotism premium."
Harvard Business School Professor Willy Shih says achieving 100% domestic sourcing "is nearly impossible for complex goods" because some raw materials are no longer made in the U.S. at all, according to Harvard Business Review. For lower-income shoppers, the higher price tags can put these products out of reach — even during a year of national celebration.
USA 250 Brings Opportunity — and a Warning for Shoppers
The America250 Commission was created by Congress in 2016 to plan the country's Semiquincentennial. As July 4, 2026 gets closer, "Buy American" shopping is expected to peak. U.S. manufacturing construction spending hit a record $2 trillion in late 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Both parties in Congress have backed incentives for domestic producers.
But consumer watchdog group Truth in Advertising warns that the milestone will also fuel "USA-washing" — when brands use American flags and imagery to imply domestic origin for goods actually made overseas. Shoppers should look past the flag and check the fine print. A clear "Made in USA" label backed by FTC standards is the safest guide, according to TINA.org.
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