When Keyana Sapp, 31, went shopping for a new backpack, the brands he remembered as a kid were just not the same.
He researched the companies, from North Face to JanSport and Eastpak, and soon realized they were all owned by the VF Corporation after a wave of acquisitions in the 2000s. After a Reddit post he made about his discovery picked up traction, he started looking at other types of consumer goods – cookware, shoes, tools, clothing.
“It seems like that was a story that just repeated in every industry,” Sapp told the Guardian.
It’s not just physical manufacturing quality. I feel like nothing is ever made or designed correctly anymore. I have no idea where Designers are being employed, because every website and product is made wrong. Nothing is ever easy to use, or explained well. Nothing ever uses words. Like Reel Big Fish said, Everything Sucks.
Please skip the article and check out the site being referenced: worseonpurpose.com
There’s an opportunity to support Keyana in their endeavor and get an early contributor price before 8/31/2026.
The only way I can see is everyone to learn to evaluate products quality and abandon brands as soon as they start to enshittify. That of course requires there to be a good quality alternative.
That’s why I get my backpacks and such from a guy at Renn Fest who hand stitches the leather.
For the quality, they’re actually very reasonably priced. My full grain leather briefcase was only $220.
Thats basically the only way to avoid shitty companies and practices and to get a quality product.
To find some artisan to handmake the item custom for you.
and unfortunately, for the overwhelming majority of people cant afford to pay 180 dollars for a custom, artisan made backpack when they can pay 20 bucks every where or two for a piece of mass produced mostly plastic garbage that wont last. Or any other item, for that matter.
It basically circles back to the Boots Theory of Economics, as everything seems to do.
Is there a list of what PE owns?
Also, fake plastic leather that will peel off in three years making a mess everywhere.
I don’t care about leather look. Just give me a nylon finish, or any other finish that will not peel off destroying the product. Though I suppose that’s the purpose, program obsolescence so you buy another.
Y recently bought one and the sliders buckles were bad, they didn’t grip properly.
I’ve been noticing too, how everything is just worse, cheaper made with less quality control.
Found the Colemak keyboard layout user
These “watchlist” ones do need reading before making up your mind, as the author puts them there for various reasons.
E.g I need a new tent so I’ve been looking at Decathlon and found it on the watchlist here.
#Decathlon
The world’s largest sports retailer. Twenty-plus house brands own the cheap-and-good quadrant, with 10-year warranties on some gear.
#Ownership
Founded by Michel Leclercq and majority-held by the Mulliez family alliance. No external investors, no debt structure. FY2025: EUR 20.7B in sales across 1,902 stores. A 2025 handover put Julien Leclercq in the chair and Javier Lopez in the CEO seat.
#Why Watchlist
Ownership is exemplary and the family reinvests rather than extracts. The problem is conduct: a February 2025 Disclose investigation tied Decathlon’s second-largest Chinese garment supplier to Uyghur labor-transfer programs and filmed a 12-year-old working on Decathlon polos. The company confirmed the supplier while denying the Xinjiang subsidiary link. Watchlist until credible remediation is published.
I’m not happy about this, but it’s nearly impossible to avoid both Chinese manufacturing (or even just Uyghur labor) AND American capital in this day and age. I can see why it’s on the watchlist and for anyone avoiding it, kudos to you for being stronger than I am, but what I’m reading is “no product quality issues mentioned, is not owned by a private equity firm, not American, not publicly traded”.
But I’m not pulling the trigger yet, so if anyone can suggest something that’s not US owned, is decent quality, and does NOT use uyghur labour or child labour, and is widely available in Europe, I’m all ears
Late stage capitalism phase. Everything is owned by fewer and fewer companies, which have fewer and fewer regulations, and more and more influence. Politics lies in bed with them. Fascism is the current next step, which is trying to solidify this fusion of megacorps+government for a long time. With this comes fewer and fewer rights for consumers and citizens.
I think that we are now witnessing that capitalism has failed because it got too unregulated and companies grew too powerful. And this systemic collapse will cause a lot of tragedy until it’s replaced in the far future.
I think that we are now witnessing that capitalism has failed because it got too unregulated and companies grew too powerful.
In other words, capitalism has failed because it’s capitalism.
I just rebought the same Levis jeans I’ve had for some years. The exact same model, length, waist etc, because the old one from 5 years ago fit me perfectly. The new one is too small, and not just around the waist, but it stops above my ankles where the old one goes below my ankles. You can put them on top of each other and see that the new one is a bit smaller everywhere. I also feel like it got even smaller after washing - at 30° according to the instructions.
I’ve noticed the same when I go to thrift store. I need L-XL there, whereas when I buy new clothes it’s XXL. Being worn out can only account for so much in my opinion.
The new one is too small
there is no standard or consistency for size. Not just across companies, but even internally on the same fucking goddamn product… Its something that has infuriated me for a decade+
I keep running into it. I buy a T-Shirt or a pair of pants, find them comfortable and like them, and go back and buy 2-3 more pairs.
I get them home and find out none of them are the same size. and I’m not talking about new ones compared to the ones I’ve been wearing and have broken in. I’m not talking about accidentally picking up a couple different sizes due to a stocking mix up. None of that. I’m talking about 3 supposedly identical items that are never identical. because the clothing is made so goddamn cheap anymore that they dont even bother with quality control anymore.
A prime example of this was last week, bought myself 3 new pairs of pants. Same brand, same model, same size, same cut, same everything. Literally the same pair of pants, taken out of the box, and put on the shelf, stacked up on top of eachother.
One pair doesnt fit cause its significantly smaller than the other two. One pair is in okay fit with an uncomfortably tight crotch thats gonna blow out if I wear them too long, and the last pair is mostly okay and close to the original pair I’ve bought.
And that doesnt even get into how awful consistency is across brands, either.
and its a roll of the dice to try things on in stores because of nasty, disgusting fucking pigs in human form using the dressing rooms as a bathroom, so there is either no dressing room anymore, or if there is you gotta hunt down someone, who has to hunt down someone who has the key to let you in… and thats assuming they didnt just shit in/on the clothes itself (which I have seen soo many goddamn skid marks in clothes that someone tried on and put back on the hanger that I even if I wanted to try on clothes I cant bring myself to do it anymore)
Yeah, Levi’s completely trashed their brand in the past 10 years. I used to consider it top shelf quality, and now it is actually worse than the cheapest bargain bin brands but still the most expensive.
Company becomes successful with a reputation for quality ----> equity firm buys company ----> proceeds to cut any cost they think they can, starting with quality ----> people wise up and start avoiding brand ----> do it all again with the next company. They’ve been doing this for decades and they’ve gotten to most companies.
Its not just private equity, its consolidation, a nasty little gremlin that people often overlook.
When you’ve bought all the competition, theres no reason to keep innovating to make superior products, because theres no one left to be superior too.
Exactly
The old corporate raiders, now working under the name of private equity.
Time for corporations to create “premium” brands with same quality as before but at 10x the price. Once those get popular lower quality again and pocket the profits. When people start complaining about lower quality create new premium brands…
As far as backpacks go, there are plenty of companies that offer good quality at affordable prices. Just avoid the big brands and look at some reviews.
You realize this article is about big brands buying out companies with good reviews and lowering quality to increase their profits?
Yes. And at the same time smaller companies are created that offer better quality. I’m aware that these will eventually consolidate and become enshittified large corporations. But that leaves space for smaller newcomers again.
It’s everything. We’re in the end-stages of capitalism. The trope I always bring out it that my previous bank location had 13 teller stations that were ripped out (no computer) and two tellers with a long line.
This is the “We’ll give it and you’ll take it,” phase.
In case you missed it in the article, or didn’t read it at all, here’s a direct link to the database: https://ledger.worseonpurpose.com/
Oh this dude is on Mastodon. I love his articles. They’re extremely informative and well written.
Bah I looked through that and I’d call it bogus. The site likes expensive yuppie brands and makes some weird calls. Avoid Ridgid power tools since they’ve gotten worse due to the TTI acquisition? Um no, there were no Rigid power tools before the acquisition–they only made hand tools. The power tool line has been TTI from the start. They have good and bad points like everything else but the manufacturer has always been TTI.
Klein (approved)? Maybe the company still has its original ownership but the tools have gotten worse according to user reports. They just stick their label on the usual imported stuff now.
Several other things like that.
That’s not what it says about Ridgid.
The Ridgid brand is owned by Emerson Electric, which licenses it to Techtronic Industries (TTI, parent of Milwaukee and Ryobi) for power tools. Emerson retains the plumbing tools (pipe wrenches, etc.) as its own line. Power tool Ridgid is effectively a licensing arrangement where the branding and the manufacturing are separated.
Why Avoid
Licensing arrangement, Home Depot exclusive, built to a price point. The Ridgid name carries plumbing heritage that the power tool products don’t inherit.
They don’t say the power tools got worse. They say that the power tools don’t have the quality that the hand tools were known for, because they’re just a licensing agreement to slap the name on price point built stuff rather than actually built by the same company.
They don’t ever say that Ridgid made power tools before TTI. They say the exact opposite.
I disagree with them about the quality of Ridgid power tools, because they’re great for the price and have a lifetime warranty.
I’ve got both Rigid and Milwaukee corded and cordless tools. My drills, saws and batteries from 2011 are still cranking along and the newer stuff is fine too.
I got the rigid stuff from my dads when he passed, he was a carpenter/handyman and chose rigid because of the price performance at the time. (Early 2000s).
Ryobi is the lowest price and focuses on consumer level, Rigid is mid teir and easier to warranty at HD, and Milwaukee is premium priced and had higher power specialty things like impactwrenches, and power cable crimpers.
I’ve got absolutely no complaints about any of the Ridgid tools I have. They’re still right up there in the A tier for performance, and usually at a much better price than like, DeWalt. Perfect for the handyman or DIYer that isn’t using them 12 hours a day, every day.
Milwaukee is definitely geared towards those making money from them though. If it’s your actual job, Milwaukee or Makita are the way to go. They’re expensive, but they are absolute workhorses.
Ah ok, Ridgid licensed its brand name to TTI for use in power tools. Same deal though, Ridgid brand power tools have always been made by TTI. No idea if Rigid hand tools are especially great. All tools are built to price points, especially power tools.
Home Depot has a good-better-best thing where Ryobi is the economy line, Ridgid in the middle, and Milwaukee at the top, but all are made by TTI. TTI also makes Hart (Walmart house brand) and other brands too. I have some Ryobi tools and a few Milwaukee and I’m satisfied with everything. The main thing I hate is battery incompatibility between brands, but you can bypass some of that with adapters.
I’m unconvinced that the high end stuff like Hilti or Snap-on is really better. What you get with those brands is a high level of fleet service. Like if you have a factory using Hilti tools and one of the tools breaks or becomes due for maintenance, the operator just puts it in a box and gets another from the inventory. Once a month the Hilti rep comes around, swaps out the box of broken/worn tools for new ones, and takes the box back to Hilti for repair.
Torque Test Channel is a good YT channel for tools. AvE (Arduino vs Evil) is entertaining some of the time but I don’t watch it that much any more. AvE used to do a lot of teardowns of TTI and other power tools.
AvE was such fun for a while. Then he turned up the grift with the"town pump cnc" he bought with patreon money. Then when the patreons noticed it was just an endmill breaking machine he went all Fuck Trudeau to scare away the smart people and just leave the fart sniffers.
Really too bad, he was fun for a while.
My grandpa used to only use Ridgid hand tools for plumbing. That’s about all I know about them lol.
But yeah, Ridgid is great for a homeowner or hobbyist, but doesn’t quite stand up to something like Milwaukee for a pro.
I would not put it in the avoid list. Ridgid is perfectly fine, they have a huge selection, they’re powerful enough, and they warranty is killer. They’re about all I buy for cordless tools, but I’m also just a DIY homeowner and not a contractor. But I’ve also not tried their new Nuke like which is supposed to be “pro grade”.
I just wish they’d put a rack and pinion fence on their table saw before I buy one. When I upgrade from my 15 year old ryobi, it’ll probably be dewalt unless Ridgid upgrades that fence.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Techtronic_Industries
The reason they’re not as good as Milwaukee is because they’re made by the same company, and they want the Milwaukee brand to mean “better tool”
They’ll purposely avoid making the Rigid or Ryobi tools too good so people have to buy the Milwaukee stuff.
I try to buy mostly Makita, cause they’re high quality, and not built by a conglomerate.
Oh yeah I’m aware they’re owned by the same company, and they use the tiered model where Milwaukee is their top end. I wouldn’t say it’s done so that people “have” to buy Milwaukee. Just that it gives different options for different customers.
Ridgid is perfect for me. I don’t use them for my day job, just for projects around the house, remodeling, and hobby work. Milwaukee is better, because they’re built to last longer and stand up to the abuse of someone using them 12 hours a day every day for work. That would be a waste of money for me because I simply don’t use them that much. For someone that makes money with them, or is doing a lot more heavy lifting with them, that’s more critical and worth the extra money.
For my use, I don’t need to spend the extra money. Ridgid more than gets the job done, and if it doesn’t last as long as Milwaukee it doesn’t really matter because they have the lifetime warranty. I can just go to HD and grab a brand new one off the shelf for free if it dies on me. Same with batteries.
Ryobi are geared toward the homeowner that only needs occasional use. I’ve got a Ryobi table saw and miter saw from 15 or so years ago, and they’re… fine. But they’re more of a pain to get set up accurately, and you have to repeatedly make adjustments to keep them accurate. They’re good for a project, but are not great for making repeatable consistent cuts. I’m doing more projects since we bought our current house, so those two are starting to become the pain factor for me, and will be upgraded soon.
Yeah their criteria for what’s good or bad seems to be very subjective. Some brands are bad because the product is diminished while others are bad not because of the product but because of a corporate structure or supply chain decisions.
For example Pyrex is avoid because in the US it’s no loner borosilicate just tempered soda glass—this is understandable, the product is objectively worse.
Hoka is also avoid not because the product is bad but because they don’t own their factories and don’t have long term manufacturing agreements.
This site seems more of a purity test for their vision of how companies should operate as opposed to an actual products are worse list. I think we all agree that private equity is generally bad but this site is basically just bashing any company they disagree with how they’re ran. Let the quality of the products dictate the rankings not subjective shifting criteria based on corporate structures.
If you don’t have factories or long term agreements your QA is stressed and there’s no guarantee what you’re getting as a buyer. From some subcomponent being inferior to quality differences between factory and b to all of this and worse…
While it’s not a guarantee of bad, it’s a risk, and it’s the company saying the build and outcome doesn’t matter.
This is one way enshitification works.
I try to buy second hand (not food, obvs). Better quality for lower prices. I have a fully cotton canvas and leather Fjällräven rucksack that only cost me 40 Euro. A new plastic one (without a removable seat pad) would cost 100 more.
i first noticed this years ago when some soap company bought breyer’s ice cream.
breyer’s used to be one of the best, turned to shit overnight
I feel like breyers was specifically bought in order to turn it to shit, because This used to be their ad.
Indeed. They used to make ice cream. Now they make “flavored frozen treats”. The only one I would consider buying is the “natural vanilla” because it is actually ice cream, but the shrinkflation is so massive it’s extremely obvious just looking at it.
Used to be ice cream, is now called something like “frozen dairy dessert”. Their strawberry ice cream used to be really great: milk, cream, sugar, egg, strawberry. That’s it. Now it’s a couple dozen weird ingredients that they can’t call ice cream, and it’s awful.
Yeah there are minimum fat contents to legally be called ice CREAM… cream is expensive… ice milk is less so etc. it isn’t necessarily bad if that is what you are expecting can be a lower fat alternative but if you have years of experience and the fat content suddenly drops… bye bye customers. Grew up in a Bryers house hold… we don’t purchase Bryers anymore.
edit I see claims that Bryers does still sell Ice Cream along side their frozen dairy desserts but the average shopper isn’t likely to recognize the difference… now I might have go looking and pick up a tub.
turned to shit overnight
Literally? I guess it’s possible, but I’d have expected it to turn to soap instead.
Have you double checked to make sure your soap isn’t literally shit as well?
