Originally Posted by superslomo
I've stopped in at a store a bunch of times right near work, which has Merckx, Seven, and all kinds of other ridonkulously expensive bike frames hanging over the counter, no clothes except for Assos, etc. etc.
All I was there for was a few cables, some loose balls to repack bearings, brake shoes/pads, and the guy was absolutely pleasant and helpful about the whole thing. I know there were people there who were paying him more for much more exotic stuff, but he had old beaters in there for repair as well as really expensive gear. You do need to cater to the expensive tastes as well as the pedestrian ones to make a marketplace satisfied.
That's a perfect example of a well-run shop. It doesn't matter whether you're buying cables for your $50 POS or your $5000 POS, they cost the same, and represent the same profit to the shop owner. Anyone who discriminates against a section of the market does themselves a disservice...