When I worked in a shop (A LONG LONG TIME AGO)
We’d easily upsell from Squier at £179 (Standard Strat) to a £329 Mexican Standard Strat - particularly white/maple…
The country of Manufacture hierarchy wasn’t a consideration for those customers - it was the “Fender” bit.
That’s the target audience…not us.
It was the same reason we had a wall of American G&L s500’s, Legacy’s and Comanche’s which we could not sell - Selling 30 American standard strats to 1 US G&L
”I know this one is better, I prefer it, but I told my band I was buying a Fender Strat…”
Brand power.
I also presume there are considerations now Mr Anti-Mexico is back at the helm…
I bet their manufacturing to wholesale margins are much more profitable using Indonesia too…