NATIONAL: Pacific Brands' recent offshore move has sparked a rush to apply for the "Australian Made, Australian Grown" logo, according to trade media reports this week.
A spokesperson for accreditation body Australian Made, Australian Grown, confirmed 900,000 hits a month on the organisation's online directory in January and February, compared with 500,000 in the same period last year.
Following criticism of the Pacific Brands announcement - which saw around 1,850 jobs moved offshore - local manufacturers were seeking validation for staying onshore and promoting their decision as a point of difference, the spokesperson said.
Eighty applications were processed this month, compared with the usual tally of 25 to 35. Almost 100 companies had obtained the tick of approval in the early part of the year, 23 of which were clothing manufacturers.
Fashion knitwear company Blossom Road had recently finalised its Australian Made application. Having struggled at the lower end of the market when it launched in the '80s, it had successfully leveraged its onshore credibility to underpin a higher end positioning, a Blossom Road spokesperson said.