The problem with the lbs is that they never have what I want in stock. They can order it for me, but then it costs more and I have to not only go back and pick it up, but often call and call again to see if it came in. It's a really big hassle.
I get most of my bike and non bike stuff from the web. Not only does it save money (yes, including shipping/taxes), but it saves time and gas. UPS, USPS and FED-X love me. My last TV, a 46" plasma, I got from Amazon.
When I buy a large dollar value bike item, I'll call my bike mechanic friend and ask him to give me a quote. Often, he can't get it for the price I can. If he's not too much more, I'll get it from him.
Some 5 years ago when I got my ti cyclocross frame, I knew that another lbs handled that brand. So I asked them for a quote. It took them some 10-days to give me a price and that was with three calls on my part. They came in $300.00 more.
I ordered on-line and surprisingly had it in two days.
I'm not a fan of bike shops.
Before the web, I had stacks of catalogs to shop. That worked better than local as well.
On tires, I probably have a three year supply for my ATB. I find a tire that really works, I get more before they run out after they change the design. I'm very fussy on ATB tires.
I never get on an e-mailing list. Too much useless clutter. I google for price/availability, but most often wind up ordering from the same tried and true outlets.
Al