This doesn't surprise me at all! The first signs were when they went direct with every shop and skipped over the distributor and sold to the distributors accounts directly. I watched this happen first had at MCD. The other sign is when they started dumping the prices to move product out of the warehouse. It's great for the end consumer but ruins the brand and their rep.
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Steve Baker
Owner / Builder
P.S.
"If you don't know what you are doing, at least do it neatly"