Maybe it is.. Maybe it isn’t.
It could also mean that EVERYBODY is starting to look at their cash flow.
And people do not see value in spending $2-10 more on an identical item.. e.g. paper towels.. to Virtue signal they they shop at the “beautiful people store”.
Or, that those stores charging more just do not add the value they think they do to justify their prices.
Walmart sometimes has low-quality items with the same brand name, made especially for them.
I’ve been noticing a lot of the “Bargain brands” are getting close to the price of major brands.