how's that ditty go.... the bread in france falls mainly on the pain....
some years back there was a big stinkeroo in France regarding the quality of breads. local bakeries were shifting to mixes / par-baked, [whatever] because the labor costs to produce on-site were too high.
besides, at 35 hrs/week, asking for 33 hours a week, no body wants to get up so early anymore.
"locals" of the Old World do bemoan that sort of thing - however as I see it primarily when a 'corner' shop closes up and they lose the source of something very familiar. to the Wonderbread crowd, all the breads are wonderful but locals have very discriminating tastes.
one family I know buys, oops _bought_ - past tense - bread at three different bakeries:
one for white 'toast' bread only, that's all they ever bought there
one for rolls & pretzels
one for artisan loaves
- but now and then mixed the last two except that for cheese bread they never bought from Shop B, etc etc etc - a long list of preferences . . .
all three bakeries are in very comfortable walking distance of their front door. I'm not sure I've got three bakeries within 'overnight drive' of my front door. . . . anyway, one baker retired and no one took over his shop, he closed. everyone was moaning about not getting good "X" anymore....