America sells brands. China sells for consumers.

[salad daging]

This Stigma is still inherent in my country that goods from China are mostly considered low quality they target consumers at low prices, even though there are still many in this interest maybe only for the lower classes who can afford it.

While goods from the US are always considered luxury and high quality goods, for example iPhones and other electronic goods, I also like brands from the US the best than China. Hahaha
I would not consider all goods from China is bad, there are still many high-quality with new innovations even in terms of its technology is now increasing, China now controls the market almost all over the world.
Is it possible for China to produce goods there because of lower wages?

[CageMabok]

...

Does America just sell a dream in a pretty package? No, that's not true. I like Apple products. It's a good brand that hasn't just made a name for itself. They have truly amazing functionality. Yes, the prices are a bit steep, but they're definitely worth it.

I have nothing bad to say about products made in China. I'm currently writing this from a Huawei laptop. I've been using their devices for several years and I'm happy with everything.

What you said makes perfect sense, as I also enjoy using American products specifically those from California, like HP (Hewlett-Packard). I have been using an HP gaming laptop for nearly six years now. Furthermore, earlier this year specifically around New Year's in January 2026 I purchased two Apple products: the iPhone 17 Pro Max in Cosmic Orange. It is undeniable that the quality of American products is truly in a league of its own, though generally speaking, I don't see significant downsides to Chinese products either, as they are certainly capable of competing on price in the global market.

[CryptopreneurBrainboss]

Do you think America is selling brands while China is selling for consumers, or do you think both countries are doing the same thing in different ways?

Americans have always been big on branding as that's what they build their whole companies around while China has been focused on supplying the goods to customers in their bunks. China do have some luxury brands but they focus more on quantity as they try the common man better while being affordable but that can't be said about the Americans.

With the Americans, you can see their branding in everything starting from their food to anything you can think about. They even call themselves the best at things they aren't even anywhere near the best and this has been working for them. They won't stop now as they're making money and even being valued more than the Chinese companies that's producing for the consumers in their masses and shipping to other countries.

The branding from the Americans will never stop since people prefer looking good over actually being it. Every country has their target audience and as such they're serving their customer's right so it's left for you to decide which one you patronize. What everyone just need to know is that you might be overpaying (in disguise of branding) when you buy from the Americans because they were actually MADE IN CHINA.

[Satofan44]

Am I seeing this wrongly?

Do you think America is selling brands while China is selling for consumers, or do you think both countries are doing the same thing in different ways?

Indeed, selling cheap junk to consumers is definitely better than selling high quality and expensive brands. After all, the Chinese products are known for their reliability and long-term prospects. I can only imagine how that "cheap" coffee was made and using what ingredients and processes. While the claim that brands are strong in America is true and that selling is important, the claim that Chinese products are good because they love customers is a fallacious absurdity. This just shows how inexperienced in life you are, and how you have never had contact with high quality products from either America or Europe. Across any given industry and category of products aside from some recent cases of hardware like smartphones, everything that China makes is junk. Even the most expensive Chinese junk is worse than cheap American products.

Americans have always been big on branding as that's what they build their whole companies around while China has been focused on supplying the goods to customers in their bunks. China do have some luxury brands but they focus more on quantity as they try the common man better while being affordable but that can't be said about the Americans.

Quantity is shit when all the products are cheap junk.

The branding from the Americans will never stop since people prefer looking good over actually being it. Every country has their target audience and as such they're serving their customer's right so it's left for you to decide which one you patronize. What everyone just need to know is that you might be overpaying (in disguise of branding) when you buy from the Americans because they were actually MADE IN CHINA.

This is a separate case and not related to the comparison. Products that were actually made in China using Chinese-level manufacturing quality control are not to be considered "American" product, regardless of whether they are advertised as such. You can't make a false comparison using products that are not actually American.

[BALIK]

This Stigma is still inherent in my country that goods from China are mostly considered low quality they target consumers at low prices, even though there are still many in this interest maybe only for the lower classes who can afford it.

While goods from the US are always considered luxury and high quality goods, for example iPhones and other electronic goods, I also like brands from the US the best than China. Hahaha
I would not consider all goods from China is bad, there are still many high-quality with new innovations even in terms of its technology is now increasing, China now controls the market almost all over the world.
Is it possible for China to produce goods there because of lower wages?

But keep in mind that most US goods are assembled and manufactured in China. If you use an iphone, you will see "made in China" right on the box.

Most people are only using their cheaper product. Very few are willing to spend money on their high end products, yet they are quick to assume that all Chinese goods have the same level of quality. In my opinion, looking down on Chinese goods is mostly based on prejudice rather than actual experience.

China is the world's factory and produces all kinds of goods at different quality levels. The cheap products you usually see are just one part of the market and cannot represent Chinese goods as a whole.

[abhiseshakana]

Am I seeing this wrongly?

Do you think America is selling brands while China is selling for consumers, or do you think both countries are doing the same thing in different ways?

I can surely said China is latecomer advantage country,with applied catch up industrialization strategy, China can adopt technologies and business models that have been proven successful from countries that developed earlier. Simply said China is at different stage of economic developmentor both US and China at a different level of competitive advantage.

We can explain China economy development using Michael Porter economic development stage

• Factor driven, got advantaged from cheap labour or natural resources with its comodity based economy
• Investment driven, got advantages from investment, manufacture, infrastructure and export, we see it at China from 1980 - 2020. China government promoted industrial zone, port, railways, electricity, export, foreign investment with priority creating as many as job opportunity because China has too many mouths to feed. As long as project generated foreign exchange, created job and strengthened domestic industry, government will support it financially.
  
• Innovation driven, got advantages from technology, patents, SI, chips, software,and brands. For decades US on this position

At the meantime, i think China on the transition from investment driven to innovation driven, many China product like Huawei, BYD and DJI, CATL be a product leader, which mean China moving up value chain.
So China studied the way previously adopted by the US, Japan, South Korea, and Europe, then accelerated or modified them through industrial policy and state support. China seems to be following a similar path, but at a faster pace and with stronger state support. What we are currently seeing with Huawei, BYD, Xiaomi, or DJI may well be a stage that US companies historically went through before becoming global premium brands. Now China become leader who filed for a patent as prove China transition development stage.

https://www.wipo.int/en/ipfactsandfigures/patents
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/340074047_Porter_model_of_economic_development_at_the_back_of_an_envelope
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/260249250_The_Stages_of_Economic_Development_from_an_Opportunity_Perspective_Rostow_Extended

[henmark]

Chinese products are very flexible. Especially from China you can get all kinds of products and all kinds of quality products. They make products for the rich, middle class and poor. They can make all kinds of quality products. They are also much more advanced technologically. That is why the USA has banned them in many section . So that they cannot get ahead of the USA in business. But China is still continuing their domination. And the companies of the USA mainly run with their own brand name and identity. Especially the people of the elite class use the products of the USA. But the same type of products or gadgets are also available in China, and in their case, China is making better useful products at a relatively low price. But some people give more importance to the brand and some people give more importance to the price and usefulness. In this regard, both the USA and China are ahead in two ways. However, the popularity of Chinese products is increasing a lot more than that of the USA worldwide.

One thing that I've largely noticed and observed is that the products that you can find within China are actually of amazing quality, but some products that are exported to other countries might not be that good quality-wise. Now there could be two reasons for that. The first one is that there are both good companies that create very good quality products, and there are also companies that create low-quality products that they can sell or export for cheap prices to countries, but that's only because those countries or vendors who import these products also want low-quality and cheap products so that they can have good profit margins when they sell those products.

So many people run online stores these days, either do dropshipping or import and sell products, and believe me, most of these products are not worth what they are being sold for. The sellers buy them at cheap prices from companies because they get huge discounts when they buy them in lots, and then they sell them at very high prices within their countries because people don't know much about quality of those products.

So, I think this is the actual reality.

[salad daging]

But keep in mind that most US goods are assembled and manufactured in China. If you use an iphone, you will see "made in China" right on the box.

Most people are only using their cheaper product. Very few are willing to spend money on their high end products, yet they are quick to assume that all Chinese goods have the same level of quality. In my opinion, looking down on Chinese goods is mostly based on prejudice rather than actual experience.

China is the world's factory and produces all kinds of goods at different quality levels. The cheap products you usually see are just one part of the market and cannot represent Chinese goods as a whole.

Hahaha that's right, goods from Apple are produced in China because the level of wages there is cheaper and able to finish en masse so this is what Apple chooses.
- https://www.aei.org/research-products/report/apples-supply-chain-economic-and-geopolitical-implications/
The main thing is that China is able to make whatever goods they produce in large quantities, including some brand name shoes that are also produced in china.

This is not a prejudice but a stigma for many people, but indeed buying goods produced in China as long as the quality is branded then the product is also good, of course the price is not cheap.
Almost 90% of the products I use at home, including kitchen appliances from China, are still satisfactory overall at a low price.

[lombok]

This Stigma is still inherent in my country that goods from China are mostly considered low quality they target consumers at low prices, even though there are still many in this interest maybe only for the lower classes who can afford it.

While goods from the US are always considered luxury and high quality goods, for example iPhones and other electronic goods, I also like brands from the US the best than China. Hahaha
I would not consider all goods from China is bad, there are still many high-quality with new innovations even in terms of its technology is now increasing, China now controls the market almost all over the world.
Is it possible for China to produce goods there because of lower wages?

Admittedly, initially labor expenses were becoming an important factor in the choice of relocation to a factory. The changes in China to be less of a low cost producer and more of a technological center have, however, developed at a very high rate. Its main strengths now are its integration of the component suppliers, technical know how and simplicity of day to day logistics which allows it to be at any standards of the world commercial brand, in terms of quality.

[programmer3666]

This Stigma is still inherent in my country that goods from China are mostly considered low quality they target consumers at low prices, even though there are still many in this interest maybe only for the lower classes who can afford it.

While goods from the US are always considered luxury and high quality goods, for example iPhones and other electronic goods, I also like brands from the US the best than China. Hahaha
I would not consider all goods from China is bad, there are still many high-quality with new innovations even in terms of its technology is now increasing, China now controls the market almost all over the world.
Is it possible for China to produce goods there because of lower wages?

Yeah, that is pretty accurate. America sells the brand name, China sells the product itself. People pay extra for that American label because of the reputation built over time. But China is not just about cheap stuff anymore. They have stepped up their game in tech and quality. The gap is closing  and honestly, even the big brands are now made there anyway. And that lower wage argument does not hold as much weight now. China's wages have gone up, but they have built such a massive production system that they can still offer competitive prices while improving quality. It is also about mindset. The US focuses on marketing and storytelling, while China focuses on volume and efficiency. Both approaches work, but they appeal to different markets.

[DYOR+BTC]

This Stigma is still inherent in my country that goods from China are mostly considered low quality they target consumers at low prices, even though there are still many in this interest maybe only for the lower classes who can afford it.

While goods from the US are always considered luxury and high quality goods, for example iPhones and other electronic goods, I also like brands from the US the best than China. Hahaha
I would not consider all goods from China is bad, there are still many high-quality with new innovations even in terms of its technology is now increasing, China now controls the market almost all over the world.
Is it possible for China to produce goods there because of lower wages?

That stigma or conclusion is true but that comes with a reason. In China its clear that there are different classes of citizens, the low and higher level but both deserves to enjoy the benefits of life, and to make it work they try to produce such that an average citizen can still afford but that does not mean a high quality product cannot be seen as a Chinese product.
Due to the kind of balanced economy experienced over there US, production is done with believe of quality instead of quantity because they know all can afford it and also for the protection of the country's name.

[Iranus]

One thing that I've largely noticed and observed is that the products that you can find within China are actually of amazing quality, but some products that are exported to other countries might not be that good quality-wise. Now there could be two reasons for that. The first one is that there are both good companies that create very good quality products, and there are also companies that create low-quality products that they can sell or export for cheap prices to countries, but that's only because those countries or vendors who import these products also want low-quality and cheap products so that they can have good profit margins when they sell those products.

This is because every country's economy is different, from income levels to consumer demand. So manufacturer and supplier have to adjust their products and prices to fit each market.

How can you sell a product if it is too expensive for consumers in that market? That is why the same manufacturer, brand, and product can have different quality levels and price points in different market.

So many people run online stores these days, either do dropshipping or import and sell products, and believe me, most of these products are not worth what they are being sold for. The sellers buy them at cheap prices from companies because they get huge discounts when they buy them in lots, and then they sell them at very high prices within their countries because people don't know much about quality of those products.

So, I think this is the actual reality.

You are not entirely wrong about this, but we should not blame the businesses either. Because the difference between the buying price and selling price is a normal part of doing business.

Not to mention that businesses still have to cover costs such as shipping, taxes, storage, marketing, and many other expense. So you cannot simply look at the production cost and selling price and assume that the seller is making a huge profit or that the product is not worth its price.

[justdimin]

keep in mind that most US goods are assembled and manufactured in China. If you use an iphone, you will see "made in China" right on the box.

Most people are only using their cheaper product. Very few are willing to spend money on their high end products, yet they are quick to assume that all Chinese goods have the same level of quality. In my opinion, looking down on Chinese goods is mostly based on prejudice rather than actual experience.

China is the world's factory and produces all kinds of goods at different quality levels. The cheap products you usually see are just one part of the market and cannot represent Chinese goods as a whole.

Not really "made in China" but "assembled in China" like that is something different lol. Normally, that literally means that it is made in China. But even Chinese are making products that are better than Apple: a faster chip, a better camera, a greater connection to the internet; literally, phones coming out of China are better and cheaper at the same time. That is the problem with the USA.

Right now, why do you think people are preferring Chinese phones all over the world (not the USA, but the rest) and prefer BYD type of cars, instead of Apple or Tesla? Because those companies are making worse products and selling them for more. How do you plan on keeping existing globally when your offer is more expensive and a worse product?

This is what people mean by America making brands more popular, because "apple" is apple, and when you buy an iphone, it is a statement, it is not because apple is better there, when you open it up and look at the features and what it has inside, it is worse, and yet, if you go there and show a Huwaei or whatever, they will think you are "poor person who couldn't afford an iphone". That is why those people are still buying those worse phones, not to be outsiders or misfits; they want to belong, so they pay more for a worse phone, just to adapt to everyone.

[Nathrixxx]

America has some of the world's biggest brands, such as Apple, Nike, Starbucks and McDonald's. Many people love their products, including me. But I have noticed a growing trend. It seems America is becoming better at selling brands than selling products that meet the everyday needs of consumers.

You are right, this brands do have quality products across the world but the uh expensive because of the reputation and value they have created over time, China is trying to break some of this barriers and do something similar to their standard at an affordable rate for everyone to use, this means you may not have to be able to wait until you can afford buying Adidas or Nike before you can use your desired fashionable shoe, China will do something almost similar to their standard and sell for you at an affordable rates, but what I can't understand with China is in their standard.

[pawanjain]

They are selling a dream. Like only a certain class of people can use this product. If you can't afford it, then maybe you are not in that class. It's more like selling emotions and lifestyle.

Exactly. They have always been selling a dream, most of it is fake too. And they don't say "if you can't buy it, you are not in that class". They are saying "this class of people is what you WANT to be in, so work your ass off and then buy our super expensive crap to get the feeling that you belong to that group".

Anybody with half a brain would ask for example "why would I buy McDonald's when the local burger shop is both cheaper and has a high quality". I mean have to you had McDonald's crap? It's just garbage, and yet they sell that garbage because for decades they have sold the brand through advertisement, they have sold that dream and everyone who wastes their hard earned money on that garbage is buying that illusion, and that blinds them on the taste...

China is not that different either. China is USA with a delay! Right now they are producing stuff that consumers need. After a while when US falls, or maybe even is dissolved like USSR did, the Chinese would go down the same path.
They've already adopted capitalism and consumerism from the West and that plague is already spreading there as well...

You are spot on. Even I feel China would do the same thing if they were in US' shoes.
To be honest, I think China is just doing what is US is doing but at a smaller price but for a larger volume.
Matter of fact, there's a huge difference between the quality of China vs US where US delivers better quality ofcourse.
That said, even I feel that McDonalds items are garbage. I have stopped eating there, it's been more than a decade now. I mostly prefer home cooked meals.

[Filicius]

That said, even I feel that McDonalds items are garbage. I have stopped eating there, it's been more than a decade now. I mostly prefer home cooked meals.

When the brand has so much value, and the price is nevertheless low like in McDonalds, the quality must necessarily suffer. In the past, it was said that the secret to being able to make such cheap hamburgers was not that the quality was so bad, but that they did not make money from them, but from the drink and the chips you buy with them, much more expensive than they are really worth.

I don't know if this is true and if it will continue to be so, but I would say that their business model has changed radically, at least in my country. Now they charge very expensive menus with the excuse of other brands, such as stranger things or minions. But I wouldn't stop eating there very occasionally, I'd just buy what I think has real value and not brand name.

[Satofan44]

That said, even I feel that McDonalds items are garbage. I have stopped eating there, it's been more than a decade now. I mostly prefer home cooked meals.

I don't know what is the problem with you guys, because the examples that you are using show that you have no idea what American products are really about. McDonald's was always the shittiest food for the poorest of peasants of our beloved America, it was never good (putting aside the quality and taste degradation compared to its own products over time). High quality American products have nothing to do with these mass marketed junk foods. Most high quality American products are too expensive to be exported almost anywhere in the world, because when you add in the shipping and import taxes they are not able to compete price-wise with the products in poorer parts of the world. America has extremely high food products, among other things, that come from various regions of the South and other more rural parts but they come at a premium.

When the brand has so much value, and the price is nevertheless low like in McDonalds, the quality must necessarily suffer. In the past, it was said that the secret to being able to make such cheap hamburgers was not that the quality was so bad, but that they did not make money from them, but from the drink and the chips you buy with them, much more expensive than they are really worth.

I don't know if this is true and if it will continue to be so, but I would say that their business model has changed radically, at least in my country. Now they charge very expensive menus with the excuse of other brands, such as stranger things or minions. But I wouldn't stop eating there very occasionally, I'd just buy what I think has real value and not brand name.

This is not really true, there is no evidence besides some anecdotes that they intentionally sold hamburgers without making money on them. Their whole business model was always designed to produce good margins while keeping the prices low through operational efficiency. If you said that the fries and drinks generally made more money than burgers, that would be correct but if you frame it as them losing money on burgers then it is not correct.

[SUPERSAIAN]

Actually, China has now started selling its own brands, and in recent years they own many companies that are doing very well in terms of sales. Even so, they are still far behind American brands. China has taken a step ahead in technology, and as a result, their brands have started to sell more. There is a very interesting race going on right now. In my opinion, China will be the winner of this race. There is still a general prejudice in the world against Chinese goods, regarding their low quality.

[Rruchi man]

Actually, China has now started selling its own brands, and in recent years they own many companies that are doing very well in terms of sales. Even so, they are still far behind American brands. China has taken a step ahead in technology, and as a result, their brands have started to sell more. There is a very interesting race going on right now. In my opinion, China will be the winner of this race.

I have a similar opinion because Chinese products are already getting a lot more attention than before; considering that China as a country is now opening up the market to many people and other nationalities and trying to dislodge the prejudice they have against their products, that their products are focused more on quantity alone and are usually substandard as compared to products from the United States, because currently there are many Chinese products that are of very high and premium quality when compared to products from the United States; an example is their vehicles. I've noticed in my country, Nigeria, there are many people who are now very interested in Chinese cars, which is very cool because of the quality of cars that they offer for a price range. The prejudice around them is now being dislodged, and many people are now looking to see the next Chinese product that they can invest in and open a market for other Africans and Nigerians to patronize.

It will take some time, but Chinese products will soon have equal, if not more, attention as products from America or other European countries.