That's because they are completely out of touch with what the kids want today.
Most are companies run by old men who are too stubborn and have conformed big time to appease the masses.
More popular when surfing was seen as a counter culture

Yeh and need essentials wetsuits online. Why go to surf shop and pay 500 bucks for a rip curl doesn't make sense.

What, i thought sharks were to blame for all business going broke..

At Kmart a pair of pretty decent quality mambo trackies is 20 bucks, a pair of any surf brand of near same quality is 75-100 and the real good surf trackies are $100 plus, I can't justify it.
big brands became big brands generally because of quality , rusty surfboards is a prime example for quite a few years they had the market in boards for both quality and design. Rusty still makes really really good boards but $50 for a T-shirt is still a bit rich.

I still buy flannelettes for $7.50 and feel like it's buy of the year.

Which brings me to the next question, how much is a mass produced board really worth......... You can walk into city beach surf and buy a new stick for 400 so how much is a board made in Thailand really worth??????? $1000 off the rack........

handing $1000 to a shaper will get you one of the nicest boards you could ever own, but for a punched out foreign made and never seen by the shaper who's name is on it.....

I used to buy $30 Quicksilver or Billabong thongs - get maybe 3/4 summer out of them before they'd pop a plug or wear through.

End of last season I bought a $3 pair from K-Mart and they were good - but split at the front plug. I've now upgraded to the $4.50 pair!!

I also have now gone to plain tees for around $15 - $25 and will no longer pay $45 for branded shirts...

Uniqlo has great quality ts sub $20