> IIRC, one of the old problems with general/convenience stores was having to ask around about which products are good, and branding has mostly solved that. I

> IIRC, one of the old problems with general/convenience stores was having to ask around about which products are good, and branding has mostly solved that. I lived in Africa for a little time, so I had to learn to do that. As an introvert geek, it was painful. But going back to France, what strikes me is how much more efficient eventually this solution is. So many brands failed us: intel, oracle, facebook, etc. They haven't paid nearly close to half the price of how they misbehaved with their customers. Brands don't allow me to build much trust. Local sellers however ? Well, once I befriend local shop owner, I trust him or her to really tell me which products is worth what.