Many good points. The other thing to consider, including the comment about sunbrella, is the EVOLUTION of the individual company. I believe most of us are aware of the "business school models" where new businesses are started up by entrepreneurs, who basically don't have "business sense" and then are either forced out or pushed aside when the business "matures" by the more "business savvy-type leaders." Steve Jobs and John Scully come to mind. WM, too, went through these evolutions, although Randy Repass is still the CEO or chairman (from his boat in the south Pacific).
Sometimes, during "hard economic times" business seem to have two choices: 1) keep prices low and increase volume over the competition; 2) raise or keep them where they are, play "enforcer" to "stop losing money" on each individual sale.
It's either a very difficult decision for any businessman, or it's a no-brainer 'cuz 1) is the one that doesn't piss off and lose your customers. The emphasis on "quarterly profits" instead of long range customer satisfaction is the logical end result of unbridled capitalism, but it is a business reality.
All depends how the guys who own the company decide to run it.
Vote with your feet and your wallets. Complaining makes absolutely no sense. Advising fellow skippers about "policies" is, however, very helpful.
