Worse on Purpose - NFHN Reader

Corporate autopsies on the brands you trust. Who bought them, who gutted them, and what's still worth buying.

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PUBLISHED

Same Shoe, Different Factory

Jul 29, 2026

Only two major running brands still own their factories. The rest rent from the same pool of contractors. Many do so with no commitment past the current order.

On Quality

Jul 22, 2026

An ode to Pirsig: What quality is and how it is degraded.

Your Cookware Got Worse On Purpose

Jul 15, 2026

One buyout firm quietly collected Pyrex, Corelle, Instant Pot, and Oneida. Farberware is a name on a 200-year lease. And the pans still worth buying.

The World Cup Got Worse On Purpose

Jul 8, 2026

A final seat cost £83 at the last Euros. FIFA is charging £3,119 for this one.

The Mechanisms Of Enshittification

Jul 1, 2026

How the things you buy get worse, who profits from it, and how to tell before you pay.

Whole Foods Got Worse On Purpose

Jun 24, 2026

It started as a flooded little store the neighbors bailed out by hand. It became an arm of Amazon that scores its own workers on how likely they are to unionize.