Eastern Europeans Tire of Being Sold Inferior Products

It's not just groceries. All big multinationals do the same. Electronics and appliance makers typically only sell mid- to low-end devices, and the low end is lower than what you find elsewhere. Samsung is particularly egregious, shipping some of their lowest-spec phones, mediocre washers and dryers, etc.

Cars are almost a world of their own. Already, (even Western-)European models of mass-market cars come with smaller engines and smaller frames compared to US and Gulf Coast models, but in the East they also come with lesser interiors, uncomfortable seats, and fewer features standard.

Even the weirdest products can be surprisingly inferior: food cling wrap, resealable plastic pouches, cotton-tipped sticks. It's frustrating and pervasive.

A few years ago I wondered whether this happens in the Americas too. I live in the US and have eaten Oreo cookies throughout my life. One time I was in Canada and bought some Oreos there, and to my surprise the flavor was quite different. It was a markedly different recipe and I wondered why.