Mike's Minute: If it's expensive, does buying local actually work?

If only nostalgia paid the bills. 

But when it comes to peaches, it doesn’t. 

Wattie's is out. Pams do a good line of imported stuff, and those who buy peaches in tins like it cheap. 

A lot of us like cheap. 

Cheap has never been more appealing in a cost of living crisis. If I was in the business of patriotic purchases, I would close my door and go home. 

It does work to a degree overseas. Australia is running an "Australian Made" campaign which has had traction. 

Canada gave it a good push post the tariff debacle. The French are into it. But a place like New Zealand, despite the rhetoric, has never really excelled at being good at backing local. 

Pams do peaches at $0.99. Wattie's is $3.90. They would have to be some pretty spectacular fruit for that price, and that is why Wattie's is out. 

They told us yesterday demand is down. Who needs Brian down the road in Hawke’s Bay when you have fruit from Lord-knows-where at a fraction of the price? 

Peaches are also out of favour. As Greg my hairdresser and I were talking during the week, who buys cans of peaches anyway? 

It's school camp food, he suggested. But he might just be one of those trendy urbanites. 

I walked him down memory lane with my childhood canned fruit salad that had peaches and pears and apples and two cherries. The cherries were the prize. I'd happily burn a whole can of syrupy crap to land the two cherries. 

But here is the thing – one of the tricks in life is honesty. 

When we face these issues, we burn a lot of energy and time on things we know aren't going to work, or are past their used by date, or are a waste of time. 

Marching for Gaza is not saving a single life or stopping the war. 

Turning up at COP30 isn't getting an inch closer to Net Zero and Helen Clark is never going to think more concerts at Eden Park is good. 

We don’t like local anything if we have to pay more than some cheap crap from Vietnam or on Temu. 

It is what it is. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
To tell you what. I've only nostalgia paid the bills. Ay,
but when it comes to peaches, clearly it doesn't what
he's routers. I'm sure you're well aware by now. PAMs.
PAMs do a good line of imported stuff. Those who
buy peaches and tins like cheap a lot of us
like cheap. Cheap has never been more appealing in a
cost of living crisis, of course, And if I was
in the business of patriotic purchase, I would close my
door and go home. It does work, and I was

(00:21):
looking this up yesterday. It does work to a degree. Overseas.
Australia's running a buy Aussie campaign which has had some traction. Canada,
you might be aware, gave it a good push post
that tariff debarcle. French are into it. But a place
like New Zealand, despite the rhetoric, has never really excelled
at being good at buying local hazard. I mean, PAMs
do peaches at ninety nine cents, Whatties are doing them

(00:41):
at three point ninety. They would have to be some
pretty spectacular fruit for that price. And that is why
what is they told us yesterday are out. Demand is down.
People are simply not buying that stuff anymore. Who needs
Brian down the road in the bay when you can
have fruit from Lord knows where at a fraction of
the price. Peaches are also out of favor, as Greg,
my hairdresser, and I were talking about yesterday afternoon. Who

(01:03):
buys cans of peaches anymore? Anyway? It's school camp food,
he said. But he might just be one of those
trendy urbanites. I walked him down memory lane with my
childhood canned fruit salad. You remember that day at peaches
and then pears and apples and two cherries, the cherries
with the prize. I'd happily burn a whole can of
syrupy crap to land those two cherries. Love the cherries.
But here's the thing. One of the tricks in life

(01:23):
is honesty. When we face these issues, we burn a
lot of energy and time on things we know aren't
going to work, or a past they use by date,
or are indeed a waste of time. Marching, for Gars
is not saving a single life or stopping the war.
Turning up at cop thirty isn't going to get us
an inch closer, and at zero helling Clark is never
going to think more concerts in Eden Park is good
and we don't like local anything. If we pay more

(01:46):
than some cheap crap from Vietnam or TEAMU, it is
what it is for more from the mic Asking Breakfast
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