Humor will not be tolerated!! -Portia

http://theboard.byu.edu/questions/89758/

Sometimes it's because you're loyal to the specialty store and would rather your money go to them than a mega-retailer.

Example: I buy my running shoes at my local running store. Could I find the same shoes online cheaper? Probably. But the owners and employees at the running store are experts--they measure your feet, record and analyze your gait as you run on the treadmill, examine the wear patterns on your previous pair, and discuss your running habits and goals and history to help you find the very best pair of shoes.

Some people will game the system by having all that done and then buying the recommended shoes online instead, but those people are turds.

I tend to split my retail dollars between local and places that scale for items like books and clothing.

However, I've actually had a good experience with big box stores for electronics. Having a warranty and scale gives me peace of mind.