People have been talking a lot about how they're going to spend the consumer vouchers the government is issuing to stimulate the economy.
Whether they go for hot products like bicycles and energy-saving appliances or personal items like shoes, bags, or accessories, more and more people are choosing items that have been made in Taiwan. Taiwanese products not only provide consumers with safety, reliability, and outstanding design at a reasonable price, their purchase directly supports local businesses. Who wouldn't want to help ensure that jobs for themselves and their children remain in Taiwan?
In recent years, Taiwan's food, clothing and home-appliance markets have been dominated by imports from Korea, mainland China, and Vietnam, so much so that at times it's been hard to find products made entirely in Taiwan. But, frightened by the tainted milk from mainland China, people have begun seeking out Taiwanese goods and now see the "Made in Taiwan" label as a guarantee of quality.
Early in November 2008, the Industrial Development Bureau (IDB) of the Ministry of Economic Affairs sponsored a series of made in Taiwan promotions. The events got an enthusiastic kick off on a cold, drizzly winter day, and introduced a modicum of warmth into these bleak economic times.
Though Taiwanese-made goods may not be cheaper than mainland and Korean imports, they match or even exceed brand-name European and American imports in terms of quality and design.
Take Crocs, for example. The foam-resin clogs were incredibly popular in 2008; it seemed everybody had a pair. In Taiwan, low-quality mainland knock-offs made of polyethylene were available for NT$100-200, while genuine American Crocs retailed for NT$1,280. New Buffalo, a local company, responded to the craze by developing 17 of its own versions of the clogs. Made of high-quality composite materials, New Buffalo's stylish shoes are lightweight, waterproof, non-slip, and resistant to bacteria, and cost only half as much as Crocs. New Buffalo's athletic shoes also sell for less than half the price of imports from Puma, Adidas, and Nike. New Buffalo even makes its shoes entirely in Taiwan with the greater attention to quality that that implies, rather than in Vietnam and China like the European and American name brands do.
As IDB deputy director-general Chou Neng-chuan has said, when we are faced with a competitive market yielding meager profits, we must break a new path and build the "Made in Taiwan" brand.
With the economy in the doldrums, consumers must likewise learn how to consume intelligently. If we are to rescue the Taiwanese economy, we must give up our infatuation with name brands and use our purchases to support Taiwanese brands.
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