I don't lament my foregone opportunity to save two hundred dollars. I avoid shopping at Sam's and Wal-Mart. (Although, obviously,  I do end up shopping there on occasion). I don't like the experience of shopping at their stores and the lure of low prices is not sufficiently compelling to me to cause me to put up with the many downsides of "big box" retail shopping.

I also am not unhappy with the company store at the upscale mall where I purchased the stereo. They provided excellent service. Their staff was knowledgeable and courteous. They did all of the little things that I expect when I buy good stuff.

My complaint is with this elite manufacturer who has chosen to distribute through Wal-Mart. I know that it's only a matter of time before this decision destroys the quality of their products... and that's a real loss. The one overriding ethic of Wal-Mart is low prices. That's what they do and they do it well. In order to do that they continually squeeze their vendors for better deals. If the vendor does not lower its price to Wal-Mart every year they lose the account. Sooner or later the manufacturer must lower the quality of its product in order to meet the low price objective. There is no other way to stay in business. Of course, at that point profits begin to erode and customers who had come to expect (and were willing to pay for) high quality begin to spend their money elsewhere. The brand dies and a once admired product line becomes just another commodity. It's sort of sad, but the laws of economics are remorseless 

I wish to make no statement here about the unnamed brand in question, Wal-Mart, or anyone else's shopping habits. My only point is that you can be cheap or you can be good, but you can't be both. The next time you are tempted to cut your price to make a sale realize that you are about to make a decision that reaches far beyond just this one deal.