Today kicks off the first ‘Australian Made Week’: a campaign encouraging Australian shoppers to buy locally-made goods over internationally-sourced products, which will be running from Monday 24th to Sunday 30th of May.

The campaign hopes to boost sales for local manufacturers and retailers, and help support businesses and communities which have been impacted by the pandemic.

“It’s an opportunity to focus on the benefits of buying local and highlight that when you buy Australian Made, you have a direct economic impact on the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of Australians throughout the supply chain,” said Australian Made chief executive Ben Lazzaro.

“Even making a small change in your weekly shopping can create a huge difference for local businesses.”

And, according to research released from Commonwealth Bank, the shopping event is tapping into a growing preference in Australian shoppers, with more than 50 per cent of survey respondents preferring to buy locally sourced and produced products.

The bank’s inaugural Consumer Insights Report found the pandemic had shifted Australian’s shopping behaviours, with 58 per cent buying local fashion, 53 per cent buying local groceries, and 55 per cent buying Australian-made electronics.

“It’s great to see customers supporting local Australian businesses,” said CommBank executive manager for consumer and diversified industries Jerry Macey.

“We saw a seismic shift in how people spent their time and this has led them to think about what is most important to them. Consumers adopted a more local focus, and whether that’s on Australian made products, or shopping in their local area, we expect this to remain a priority.”