Therefore, by adjusting the quality down a little bit, the company gets a bit of feedback as to how low quality a typical consumer is able to tolerate at their price point.
So i think ultimately the responsibility lies with the consumer to demand the quality they want by purchasing good quality stuff, even if it costs more, and to educate themselves to discern what is quality and what is fluff.
The issue is that higher price and promise of quality does not reflect reality once you start using the item. We paid £100+ for a cutlery set and it still stained for example.
Therefore, by adjusting the quality down a little bit, the company gets a bit of feedback as to how low quality a typical consumer is able to tolerate at their price point.
So i think ultimately the responsibility lies with the consumer to demand the quality they want by purchasing good quality stuff, even if it costs more, and to educate themselves to discern what is quality and what is fluff.