The brutal truth in this conversation is that 'better ideas' are a dime a dozen and rarely align with business plans or strategy. I hate to be the one painting a grim picture here... but the majority of companies struggle for acceptable profitability. They often operate like the the tandem cyclists heading up hill... with the person in back keeping the brakes on so as to not slide backwards. As ludicrous as it sounds... innovation and making products better is often viewed as an unnecessary risk and most certainly a distraction.
I am not making excuses for the business... but almost all of them are followers looking to reach par. From the designer's perspective "People are used to it" is completely lame, and to some extend so is the 'best of bread' argument, but that is how most businesses try to focus their limited resources and focus. There is a lot more to innovation and making products better than just having the 'great idea'.
Everett Rogers does a great job explaining how ideas and innovations take hold and become common place in markets in "Diffusion of Innovation". It's not an easy read... but one well worth the effort for designers who want to make great products and see them succeed.
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