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WORSE ON PURPOSE
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Every investigation, newest first.


Your Dinner Got Worse On Purpose

Apr 29, 2026

Restaurant prices keep climbing. The food keeps getting worse. There's a reason for both.

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Your Favorite Brands Got Worse On Purpose

Apr 21, 2026

One company owns Brooks Brothers, Champion, Eddie Bauer, Billabong, Sports Illustrated, and the licensing rights to Elvis's likeness. They don't make a single product themselves.

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Your Glasses Got Worse On Purpose

Apr 9, 2026

How an Italian orphan built a $27 billion monopoly that controls the brands, the stores, the lenses, and the insurance.

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Your Power Tools Got Worse On Purpose

Mar 31, 2026

How TTI and Stanley Black & Decker took the same playbook in opposite directions.

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Your Backpack Got Worse On Purpose

Mar 23, 2026

In 1986, a corporation that made women's lingerie bought every backpack brand you've ever trusted.

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WORSE ON PURPOSE

Why your stuff stopped lasting, who profited, and what's still built right.

The Brand Ledger
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Every brand I've covered. Who owns them. Whether they're still worth buying.

© 2026 Worse on Purpose.
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