This. The shop I bought my bike from (a Giant dealership) is an outfitter with a bike corner and a couple of guys (who are nice enough, just get no support from the owners); they carry no components and the shop seems to marginalize bike servicing. The shop I like is another outfitter (a Specialized dealership), with an excellent bike servicing area, some components, and knowledgeable staff who are willing to order what they don't carry. Most of the bits I've changed on my Giant are Specialized. Both are successful local chains. Weird.

I can't imagine anyone at the shop I like saying don't bother buying new components for their looks; they'd find out what I'm looking for and sell it to me.