An old post I realise Blue, but it made me chuckle, and realise something. You're promoting your local bricks and mortar store, that have obviously given you good service, by stating "they ship to the UK" and linking to their website.
To me they are just another online retailer taking business away from my local bricks and mortar store.
Which made me realise after reading through this old thread that most of the 'local' stores people are talking about are big online retailers as well, GAK, Andertons, PMT, Promenade, Merchant City Music, Guitar Guitar, etc, OK they're not Amazon or Thomann but still very big online players.
So by using them, and I do, I am supporting someone else's local shop, arent I?
It's just inevitable progress I feel, if someone can offer you a service that suits your needs better, you'll use it.
I assume there were similar woe as cities expanded, swallowing up surrounding towns and villages, leading to city centre retail taking over from local high streets.
If physical shops can provide service that is preferable to the customer and profitable to the business then they'll win out. Unfortunately I honestly don't see how a small, local music shop can do this so their customer base will continue to dwindle until it reaches a balance point, if at this balance point they are not profitable then it's game over.
Another nail in their coffin, I think, is that playing musical instruments just isn't as popular as it was years ago. I may be biased but I feel that my generation (teenagers in the 80s & 90s) were the last generation when playing in band was popular. Sure teenagers still do but I think the number of kids that want to has been steadily dropping since the 60s/70s. Since the 2000s using computers for music has become far more commonplace and you don't go into a music shop for the latest hardware or software.
I don't know where any of this going, much like the retail business, so I'll stop rambling now .