Mad Honk 

Advocatus Diaboli,
I think the discussion started with a rant about LBS's inability to stock an item he wanted right away. The discussion went kind of downhill and off topic and then some complaints about what I consider instant gratification. I think it has morphed into some discussion about the underlying reasons for high costs in LBS's. I can see the volume discount as a benefit to the consumer, especially in the items that are not hard goods. Gatorade, and Cliff bars, even clothing has to have volume to make a small profit. But that is not what covers the bigger costs of keeping the doors open. An example is my local bike project; they sell tubes for $4, and cables for $1. Great deals for maintenance but those items don't even come close to paying the $500 mo rent and the light bill. They run a very basic operation and maintain a free use tool board, with no restroom facilities, They pay one employee for what is supposed to 10 hours per week to maintain inventories but most of that is done by volunteer labor. So they struggle along by selling a few used bikes, and reconditioning donated bikes to re-sell. No liability insurance (they can't afford it), and the focus is on training folks to learn self repairs.
The mechanics who try to break out on their own, don't consider any overhead costs, and certainly don't even think bout liability issues. One person crashing over the bars on a test ride, changes everything in an instant. JMHO, MH