Originally Posted by
tractorlegs
Well, like I said in my post this doesn't occur nowadays because Bike shops (at least in my area) charge the same prices as online, so I would buy it in the bike shop. However, lets say you were poking around in an LBS and came across some gear you liked - and then went home to scope out the quality of the item online (by reading reviews and asking BF posters) and to check out the rep of the manufacturer. While online you discover that the price at (for example) Nashbar is substantially lower, why not get it at Nashbar? It's not "stupidity", it's just budgeting - If the item is for sale at several outlets, whether local or online, I'm going to get the least expensive because I still have a family to feed and mortgage to pay and need to watch where all those dollars go
Having items onhand is not necessarily "value added" unless it's an emergency purchase (like a new tire) or the shopper is just impatient.
Fortunately LBSs in my area are very competitive with their goods and pricing so I can get most of my bike stuff locally.
I think the topic that was started here was the act of deliberately going to a retailer with the intent of 'trying stuff on' or 'trying something out' and then buying it someplace else. Realistically its impossible to verify or compare the fit of shoes or garments online, or evaluate some products for build quality or functionality without actually holding them in your hands. Providing merchandise, floor space and staff to enabke the consumer to do this is expensive and requires a higher markup in the inventory. Its a service and a demonstration to customer committment. Stores that base the customer experience soley on price are usually based around maximizing turnover and profit levels.
And this is a two way street that requires respect by consumers as well. 'Return Fraud'
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Return_fraud is hitting record highs in brick and motor stores and cost estimated $14.3 to $18.4 billion in 2011. Using any shop to try out merchandise with the preconceived intention of buying elsewhere doesn't technically fall under this catagory, but from a practical point of view does because it uses up floor space, service staff and depreciates merchandise.
That may not be what you yourself are doing but it is how the topic was initially brought up and unfortunately stores also do have to deal with customers that 'buy' tool to do a job and then return them for a refund afterwards, and others that 'buy' clothing for use Friday night and return them Monday morning. Every major power outage sees generators sold out everywhere and then long lines of people returning them afterwards. My choice of words may not be politically correct, but 'stupidity' seems to me to be the best description.