July 2011 – a survey by Which? Magazine asked “Would a Made In Britain logo help you to buy British?” An overwhelming 84% of respondents said yes, a clearer indication than ever before about the strength of British loyalty to their home brands. So – what are we as consumers doing to help support the British manufacturing industry?
The consumer industry in Britain is huge. The demand for more shops, both on the high street and online, has surged. Along with this demand has come the most competitive pricing that the retail industry has ever seen – facilitated by the import of more products than ever before from abroad. Whilst this has certainly increased price and product ranges, it has also meant a sharp decline in the percentage of the market occupied by British-made products. A survey by Stoves, a cooker manufacturer based in Prescot, showed recently that 48% of British adults asked admitted that although they were keen to buy British-made products, they were confused as to how to identify them. Problems have arisen with unclear labelling and the influx of cheap products from places like Eastern Europe. However there has been a backlash against these imports with many buyers preferring to support the British economy specifically.
But – how can you tell at a glance whether or not a product has been made in Britain? This was precisely the question that presented itself to Stoves. It was swiftly followed by well – how do we create one? Hence the birth of the ‘Made In Britain’ logo. A design which, when seen oon product packaging, means that it has been produced exclusively in Britain. This simple, at-a-glance logo has revolutionised consumer life by removing the uncertainty and making it instantly possible to identify which products have been made in Britain – and which have not. The chosen design was revealed in July 2011 and by October 2012 over 600 companies were using the logo. In 2013 the award-winning British design agency The Partners was commissioned to re-design this logo and a membership scheme was created for those companies whose products are ‘Made In Britain’. All in all, this new logo is a brilliantly useful tool for those wanting to support the British industry movement. It makes it easy for consumers to purchase exactly how they wish and it also raises awareness of the importance of buying British made products.
It comes as no surprise at all that Gemma Lighting has recently been approved to carry the ‘Made in Britain’ design. With all products manufactured exclusively in Portsmouth before being exported worldwide, Gemma was a very natural choice to endorse this logo. One of the founding principles of the company was to ensure that manufacture took place solely on British soil. From the very first initial design concept, right through to the eventual completion of manufacture, it all takes place on-site at Gemma’s factory in Portsmouth, a fact of which the company is rightly proud. With companies like Gemma Lighting leading the way in this initiative, the aim is for the logo to reach national recognition and be endorsed by the government and political bodies. And it certainly seems likely that this will happen before long – those who have a say in the running of Britain are bound to want to promote the support of British industry as widely as possible. All of which is good news for companies like Gemma; they will be able to claim a role in pioneering this unique British movement!
