A Rant About Imported Bedding! / myLot

By Janey1966

@Janey1966 (24170)

Carlisle, England

February 1, 2011 8:50am CST

"Calm down, calm down, no-one's died!" I keep saying to myself. It is difficult though when I've found something out that is so annoying it makes my blood boil.

Why am I so angry?.. I received some bright red bedding from NEXT a few weeks ago. Granted, there was £10 off which made it £18 in total, including the duvet cover, white fitted sheet and two pillow cases BUT the quality is like sandpaper and it's travelled all the way from BANGLADESH! I can't help thinking about sweat shops and things..and children making it all in terrible conditions. So, that's what prompted me to go on a mission to find some British made bedding online. Sounds easy, right? WRONG! Unless I wanted bedding for a hotel where they have crisp, white sheets, etc, I've no chance. There are British companies but they outsource abroad. The only truly British company that still has its bedding made here is Peter Reed and, believe me, it AIN'T CHEAP! I find it unbelievable that bedding coming all the way from Bangladesh (with all the travelling that entails) is far cheaper than bed linen made in the UK..that is if I could find some.

Various companies have got back to me via email and the likes of Dunelm Mill have said that NONE of their bedding is British made..and there's loads of it on their website! Perhaps I shouldn't be so uptight about it but I AM and I'm PISSED OFF that hardly anything ever gets made in my home country anymore.

http://www.peter-reed.com/ Way out of my price bracket lol.

2 people like this

7 responses

zralte

@zralte (4178)

• India

1 Feb 11

How true!! It is sad that the country where Industrial Revolution started is now a place with almost no manufacturing. The truth is that with all the government regulations and wages rate, it is becoming impossible to make anything in UK. I should know - it's the reason my husband and I moved to India. My husband and his family has been manufacturing since 1785 in the heart of Black County. About 10 years ago, the family decided they cannot make their living anymore - unable to compete with Chinese products. Granted there are still a few people who likes 'Made in Britain', but then not many people can afford it anymore. I know for a fact that most of the 'Made in Britain' are not all made there. Most probably parts are bought from China, India, Vietnam,etc. and final fitting or packing has been done there and then passed off as 'Made in Britain'. I know quite a few people who are doing that.

1 person likes this

Janey1966

@Janey1966 (24170)

• Carlisle, England

1 Feb 11

Many thanks for your interesting comments. I do know that Dawes Cycles (I have a bike from them) import materials from China and assemble them all in the UK, which isn't the same is it? Chinese steel, etc, is far inferior and the alloy on my bike rusts and it's not supposed to! However, the paintwork is like new and it's well over 10 years old. Dyson has also moved production to Malaysia. Mum has had her DC01 for years (British made) but my DC04 is Malaysian and is extremely heavy compared to the DC01. Lugging it upstairs is no fun, I can tell you! I reckon it all started with the demise of Rover cars. It's hard to tell who owns what in the car industry now. We do make cars over here but for overseas companies such as Nissan. The thing is, when people from abroad start asking for better wages what will happen then? Interesting thought!

zralte

@zralte (4178)

• India

1 Feb 11

Hm.....I think we have a few years for that - for the people in India to ask better wages - not that they don't, but there are so many people that if one person ask for a higher wage, there are hundreds who are willing to work for less. Though paying people less wages is not the right way to go. I try to give my workers fair wages. In fact, I think I pay more than the going market rate. I have to, because of the fact that we are sort of outsiders. But, it's worth paying more to the people that we have already trained. A good worker does the job of three untrained worker. Sorry, that's quite a rambling there. As for the Chinese products, don't get me started. I'm not saying all the products from China is bad.....but everything 'Made in China' I have ever bought never last long and not worth the money and the headache.

Janey1966

@Janey1966 (24170)

• Carlisle, England

1 Feb 11

You don't ramble as much as me my friend.

Ramble away, it's fine! I find it all very interesting the comments you make, and it educates me too.

Heather Echola

@GardenGerty (161203)

• United States

1 Feb 11

I have not looked here in the US, but I believe I would also find a similar situation in the United States. I learned on Sunday that all the lightbulbs made by a certain company are made in China and Mexico, and at one plant here in Kansas. All the other factories have been shut down. It happens with a multitude of products.

1 person likes this

@Janey1966 (24170)

• Carlisle, England

1 Feb 11

It's so sad isn't it? I often wonder what will happen when the likes of the Chinese moan about their wages. Mind you, they don't live in a democracy so have to keep quiet about such things.

p1kef1sh

@p1kef1sh (45681)

•

1 Feb 11

I hear you! In the space of 150 years we have gone from a major industrial base to an also ran. I blame Mrs Thatcher to a large extent. She believed in the service industry but not manufacturing. So she removed any investment and has left this country hamstrung ever since. Currently we are feeling the effects of the cheap labour markets in China and Asia. However, there is already evidence of unrest in those places in respect of their aspirations for the type of lifestye that we have had. As those ambitions are realised so the cost of manufacturing will increase and at that point we might see a recovery. In the meantime; I'll look out my Granny's flannel sheets for you. They are pre-war and most definitely made in England!

TheRealDawn

@dawnald (85146)

• Shingle Springs, California

1 Feb 11

Ow not cheap. It's happening all over the developed world. My uncle used to work for Dockers. After he retired, the last Dockers factory in the US closed down. It's ALL made overseas. You can find textiles made in the US, but you have to really look.

Janey1966

@Janey1966 (24170)

• Carlisle, England

1 Feb 11

Yes, it's the same here.

If I could sew I'd make my own lol. That's from a person who took a year to make a 3-tiered skirt at school, and that was using a sewing-machine!!

hofferp

@hofferp (4734)

• United States

1 Feb 11

Until China, India, Pakistan, etc. start paying decent labor wages, institute safety, environmental and other laws the developed world works under, it's not going to get better. And the only way I see these changes coming about, because government to government hasn't done it, is the people of these countries demanding better wages/living/working conditions. And those of us living in the developed world need to stop buying products from nations that don't play by the same rules and start demanding our own governments do something different than they've been doing for the past two decades. But during that process, we need to expect the cost of the things we buy to go up.

Janey1966

@Janey1966 (24170)

• Carlisle, England

1 Feb 11

I agree!

h_consolacion

@h_consolacion (27)

• Philippines

2 Feb 11

there might be some reasons behind it.. especially labor cost. it might be better to do the real shopping so you could go through what you want. regarding imports, it is happening in many countries. it is part of trade globalization. companies are reaching out to a global market so why not a global source/factory also? but in the end, it will alwas be up to the buyer, to settle for quantity or quality!

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