Most bike brands used buy 3X the amount of components they really need each year and dump them at grey market outlets that they owned or were involved with. Mail/internet order houses were one such place, others supported small frame brands who couldn't qualify for OE. Then bike brands started their own component lines and forcing the small brands and their distributors off the shelf. The internet sales thing blew up and the mailorder places buy through QBP as almost a franchise. Margins are slim.

QBP is a brand just like trek, spec or the doral lump, driving for the end of the road as quickly as possible.