I think producing good interesting coffee on a large scale is hard and there isn't as much room for a ton of different firms thrive.
It's possible except everything goes into blends. We get some really nice coffee that would be passable as a third wave shop (even through the roast profile) but then it goes into a blend with other coffees. It's a bummer.
Have you noticed any changes with Stumptown since Peets bought them?
I noticed a change in Stumptown about ten years ago, when they started selling as much coffee as people would order. For a long time they limited the number accounts they would have to keep quality up but then they decided to make some money.
I can't say I've drank much Stumptown since the Peets sale but their coffee has been pretty unexciting for years. The one great cafe I knew that still carried them dropped them after a decade.
Blends mostly suck.