To be sure, some people buy the name. But there are allot of those kind of bikes around already. Bread and butter type sales, tend to be much more price sensitive, and those are the ones that keep the doors open. To be clear, I'm not advocating that Trek turn their backs on the LBS for internet sales. I'm just saying the type of shopper their internet sales will attract are almost certainly expect a price break for their troubles as is typical in internet sales. That will be a problem for this model that Trek is wanting to use. Beyond that, Trek does have allot of their own branded and spec'ed parts etc. That falls under proprietary components if carried too far, and proprietary components (if too many) drive away sales. Compaq computer from the 80's-90's went this route, and it was a significant part of their downfall, as you had to pay exorbitant price for replacements that failed at a high rate requiring another replacement.
Of course it is all speculation from everyone, and not all the details are out. But I just don't see a lure from the consumer end for the limited budget buyer, or the picky hands on buyer. These two groups are the most critical buyer's IMHO.