I guess I'm lucky to live in a town with several good bike shops. Yes, inventory can be spotty, but in the last week or so I've walked in and gotten a chain, a GXP bottom bracket, a Brooks C-17, some bar tape, and a Smith helmet. I don't have anything against buying online, but I always check the locals first.
And while I'm no fan of Wal-Mart, the Waltons have financed a network of
cycling trails and other infrastructure in NW Arkansas that you'd have to see to believe. It's truly world-class.