Not fabric related but it's an example of companies that sell a different 'quality' to different stores -
John Deere is sold at Home Depot (or Lowe's?) The lawn tractor is still green/yellow, still has 'John Deere' on the side, however those sold by the farm equipment store 30 minutes away, and open for years, is a much better tractor. Sure, it costs a little more, but in this case, the customer gets what she pays for, known when she reads the details
I wouldn't be surprised if fabric manufacturers do the same.
Much of my stash is from the 80's, this is a good thread to read!