Dollar Tree.
It used to have been an unreal experience witnessing the existence of these stores when they came out. Everything for a $1. No joke. The quality of some things have had corners cut and the quantity might’ve been laughable, but there was a good solid purpose for these stores.
And then I started seeing the signs after a few good solid years of shopping there. The first sign was how they stopped selling eggs. This was before the Bird Flu. They stopped selling eggs because they simply couldn’t afford to buy stock and then the price hike to $1.25 happened.
And now they’ve hiked the prices again to $1.50 for some products in a handful of stores. Additionally, they’ve incorporated items going from $2 ~ $15 so they have long lost the role and title of being the most affordable places to shop.
Gone were the days.
Enshittified public toilet
It cheats you in through a back door, looking like an ad-covered kiosk. The main entrance is on the other side.
In stalls, there are two screens playing ads, sound coming from the one you’re facing.
Toilet paper brands advertise on dispensers, all brands owned by the same conglomerate.
Softest toilet paper has printed portraits of the toilet company’s political enemies.
Facial recognition measures usage, you pay at exit.
Exiting after 5 minutes is expensive, but a monthly plan is cheaper.