I'm not clicking the link or making specific reference here just going on the part of the statement about Campy. Here is a prime example of what it is that we constantly balance:

Campagnolo North America has a VERY specific pricing policy. There is a flat out MAP "MINIMUM Allowable Price" in that policy. None of those prices are anywhere near what you can buy things at overseas. This policy strictly maps out that "if they see" any receipt stating any price below MAP that dealer will lose their authorization to sell Campy and access to the line through major distributors.

So...is there margin in Campy? Yes. Is Campy NA trying to protect the margin for the "little guy"? Yes. Take a good shop and let them service the market and sell at going rates and technically Campy can shut them down.

"Oh they won't do that to a good shop servicing their customers that has a brick and mortar presence...." yaddayaddayadda.... you're right. They will only do it to other businesses trying to make money.

I guess what I am hoping people start to understand something about this industry:

Wholesale ain't retail.
You don't get to just walk into any distributor like any customer walks into a store.
You don't get to buy anything you want or have money for.
You aren't allowed to sell at the prices you may want to sell for - after all they have to protect their price in the market.
You can't control Grey market product and it's stupid to try or want to...

So...you're left with a couple of choices: You compete on price for commodity product and walk the fine line of policies always thinking that any day you wake up you might lose your accounts and your livlihood, or you accept pricing things at MSRP and deal with the number of customers who come in and roll their eyes and go buy online - you'll make it on bike sales, sales to the uneducated masses and service to those that have no knowledge and don't want to learn, or constantly find different ways of sourcing material.