There is something to that. But consider household tools like Craftsman (had lifetime warranty). Now Craftsman is cheaply made with poor metallurgy and has a limited warranty. People will buy that at the HomeDepot. Sure, you can buy more reliable brands, but most people like you say won't know which ones to buy since many have been shipped overseas.

Furniture is now disposable. Clothing is disposable (even if you didn't mind fashion, it will end tattered after a couple of seasons. You can still buy excellent clothing, it just costs 5x.