Big Box vs Independent Appliance Stores

My trustworthy and honest repair guy suggested I buy a new Washer Dryer combo because mine was not worth repairing. He said don’t buy it at a Home Depot or Lowe’s type of store. Go to an independent shop. I don’t know if he suggested this because he wants to support local businesses but someone told me the ones sold at HD use cheaper internal parts that break more easily. This is done for a lot of tools and appliances so those stores can get them cheaper. Has anyone verified this? The prices are the same at both.