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Not your imagination: from backpacks to food, consumer goods are getting worse
The Guardian • • business
Key Points:
- Keyana Sapp discovered that many nostalgic consumer brands, including backpacks and cookware, are now owned by large conglomerates like VF Corporation, which often leads to declining product quality.
- A National Consumer Rage Study found that three-quarters of Americans experienced quality or service issues in 2025, double the rate since 1976, with customer complaints reaching record highs.
- Sapp created a database ranking brands based on corporate ownership to help consumers avoid those whose quality has suffered due to profit-driven management by private equity and big corporations.
- Experts link declining product quality to increased shareholder activism and pressure on CEOs to maximize profits, often at the expense of customer satisfaction and product durability.
- In response to these trends, new consumer-focused platforms and communities have emerged to hold corporations accountable, while shoppers are advised to support smaller companies to avoid quality issues.
