Toyota and Honda build a better product than what's available from Detroit beause they were willing to make investments in manufacturing technology 30 years ago; we've drifted a bit from the original context, which was really a question of service products. As near as I can tell, the service provided by my Nissan dealer is no different than the service offered by my mom's Chrysler dealer. Apple doesn't count because they have their own market to themselves.
The original example -- DSL service -- and mine -- domestic airlines providing A to B transportation -- can have a host of others added to it: insurance, cellphones, consumer banking, and to a certain extent consumer goods: books, electronics, the low-hanging-fruit of Internet shops. It just doesn't pay to hire people in a storefront who are knowledgable about their products, and when people go to those stores, they complain that the people working there are idiots. Well, what did you think would happen when you bought the last 10 books from Amazon, and only went to the local store when you had a question?
/jordan