I was only a baby in the early 90s, but my earliest memories which started to form around 1994-95, I remember my parents shopping and bringing me along, employees seemed happier, less stressed/more laid back and casual, and companies were way better staffed.
I remember my parents actually sitting down with a blinds and wallpaper consultant at HQ/Builder's Square back in the day and remember the process being really specific and thoughtful. Now at Home Depot, the employees all look sad and most are too busy to stop doing what they need to do to have a discussion, let alone sit at a desk for a consult.
I remember early trips to places like Sears and the mall with my dad. The people seemed more lively and hopeful than now, at least in my memories. There seemed to be a higher density of employees than now, where back in the day there was more money spent on customer service and proper staffing. For example, it almost seemed like there were employees who used to be customer service representatives at stores, but over time it seemed like customer service roles were eliminated and merged with a natural expectation of everybody's job. But again, it could just be how I was young and naive and my memory may have totally mis-observed the true reality of what I was seeing.
Now everything feels like it's just bare bones, running on fumes of its former self. Stores are just empty brands with staff that feel hopeless and are clearly stressed and overworked.
If any of these things are accurate from my memories, what changed? Is it just enshitification? Did something happen that caused the behaviors of companies to suddenly change?
Or is it that inflation was much lower then and the wages and jobs available back then could more easily afford a normal life, meaning less stress overall?