[buildyourown]

why is everyone so concerned with the lbs? who cares about "supporting local buisness" . the only thing that matters to me is where i get things the cheapest, be it at a shop on sale or through the internet. buying bike stuff is just like anything else, why would you buy a cd for 17.99 at a mall when you can go to walmart and get it for 12?

Supporting independant local businesses is important. What about when you want to buy a CD from a indy label that walmart won't carry because they can't buy a container of them from china? What about when you want to buy that new Outcast CD or that new Beck CD but you can't because the religious right that runs walmart has censored it and doesn't think you should be able to listen to the music you want to?

Sometimes you should look at more than price when you decide where to buy stuff. You are buying more than the product you want.

<end rant>

 

[erikkellison]

I don't really feel like putting in the time to read all this, but I just do want to say two things: Curb Hucker, I'm pretty sure your shops pricing policies (no price tags, pricing specific to each customer) is actually illegal.
The other: someone referred to a shop only being able to "afford" 20% off retail. That makes no sense, because if they don't sell product because it is priced too high, then they will go out of business. So you can't really say that they can't afford it, because if they consistently lose business due to overly high prices, then they will learn to afford lower prices to the consumer, or get out of the business.
Oh, and PS: my local shop give me about 20% off retail. However, my main dealer gives me slightly to partway above wholesale because he has low overhead (though it's rising...). Between the two, I only shop online when I can find stuff on closeout. If you can get good deals, it's worth the extra buck or two (or 10 or 20) if you get advice, product immediately, a return policy, no shipping, and a good partnership with a shop that will hook you up when you need it.

 

[thaflyinfatman]

If no one supported the LBS, they would go out of business.....

Yes, I notice that you said "they would go out of BUSINESS" not "close down their charity organisation". Like I said before, they're in it for their own gain. They look out for themselves, and if they effectively look out for you it's because they're smart enough to see that it's beneficial to them (which is good for everyone involved). Remember who's paying who here - you have no obligation to them to stop them going out of business - that's their problem and theirs alone. IF they can offer you the best deal (overall - not just with price, and not necessarily on each specific occasion; for example, guys at my LBS often give me lifts to races, lets me use their tools, etc), then go there. If not, look elsewhere. *Most* people (at least over here), IMO, don't gain from buying mail-order (assuming you only use one or the other) because they don't have the background/technical knowledge, mechanical skills, or the tools to make full use of the fact that they got stuff cheaper. In that respect, I don't think LBS's are really threatened that much by mail-order places.

Anyway, the moral of the story is: you worry about what's best for you. Let them worry about what's best for themselves. If they can't make the business viable, well tough titty, it's not your fault and it's not your duty to make it your problem.

 

[springfield1911]

Where I used to live, the shops were aragont and over priced. But where I go to college, Berkeley, the shops are super nice. THey actually remember who you are months after you've spent a dime there, and the yactually tried to hook me up with an 8 speed set up. Man these guys should be in every major city(yes this is a line from boondock saints:devil