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I think my most genuinely unpopular take is that a widely held and genuine consumer preference for cheaper, lower-quality goods, not private equity, is driving the decline in quality of consumer goods like clothing and housewares.

Consumers used to select their purchases from what was available at local stores, which were stocked with goods chosen by professional buyers looking for quality and value.

Online shopping eliminated these gatekeepers and disintermediated the market, allowing consumers to express their desires more directly. And it turns out that what people really want is cheap disposable goods, not more expensive but higher quality stuff that lasts a long time.

They don't cut price, but they will cut corners to maintain a price point in the face of other costs rising. Q.v. shrinkflation in groceries. Same price on the box; less in the box and they hope you won't notice and just appreciate they have not raised the price.

Yes. That’s the corporate greed and bullshit that we aren’t asking for. I notice it all the time because I have recipes call for a 16 oz can of beans (they’re 15 oz now) or 24 oz canned soup or sauce (21 oz now)

Is it? Or is it choosing to shrink the portion in order to maintain the price point demanded by the consumer? I mean, I'd rather take the price bump, but not everyone is.