[logicallee]

At the end the original article states pretty clearly what the alternative is: "Everyone wears the same great clothes, but pay different prices for it."

Even the quoted $15 (all JPKab could afford) is more than enough to meet Nike's manufacturing cost, for example, so under the suggested scheme he could wear the same clothes others do; and if Nike could charge different people different amounts, it would prefer to also receive the $15 than not receive it. (If it wouldn't impact its ability to charge its normal prices.)

In practice every company strives for price discrimination, by making something for every price point without hurting the higher ones.