I agree, once the race to the bottom starts it can only result in lack of quality. I remember going to the Woodwards store, in my neighborhood. You paid a little more but only top quality items and extra service where what you got. And if you where not satisfied you could return the product. Groceries where delivered by conveyor belt to a station where you could drive up and they where loaded in your trunk for you. The hardware department had all the quality tools and a variety of fasteners you could buy individually no display packs. There where benches for the old timers to hang out and a malt shop for the kids. The dollar stores put them out of business. And to make matters worse foreign business people tried to buy their name to use on cheap dollar store imitations. When the Woodwards family declined this they continued with cheap knockoffs like Woodwinds, etc. Sure you can save a little money here and there but surely quality must have some meaning, quality of product, and quality of life. The last Landmark Woodwards building was used by squatters and for Raves etc, I think was recently converted to some kind of apartment complex.. yay .. Hudson's Bay next stop.