there is more to it than that
As a custom integrator, with a retail location on a fairly busy street, with salesmen, and programmers and techs, and 5000sq feet showroom, there are alot of costs, and overheads. From payroll to floor planning, the cost is HIGH to have the stuff the AV geeks want to buy. So with things as they are now, the have an unfair advantage! And what is that advantage you say? Lower cost of being in business. And the kicker is that with out the B&M stores (brick and mortar) displaying these TV's, DVD players, Projectors, Subwoofers, Speaker packages, Touch panels, and etc.. How would you know which one you like? or which one sounds the best, or what color matches your trim, or whatever the 'what if' or 'does it' happens to be. How can you tell if YOU like how it sounds or how it feels...... THIS IS THE UNFAIR PART OF ALL THIS!
A lot of the online 'real' stores adhere to the brands policies, have a large client base, AND have lots of employees! Those things that you can call and ask questions, get recommendations from? There is a advantage to have a professional person around!
Its very frustrating when some one comes into your store and you invest time into this client, and he ends up saying will you match such and such online store, because its XX% cheaper. I mean its like saying I'm worth nothing, or the assume I'm making money on the
www.com sale!? We don't make money unless we sell it to you, and if we don't make a certain amount of money when we do, we are at risk of not maintaining a profit level thats high enough to stay in business.
We want to have prices that are good and aggressive, and fair, however we need to make a bigger percentage than the guys that can deal on volume, or that are small time middle men in the basement making there 10-15% while still in their underwear...............
Basically, the deal is this, Internet has very heavily effected two things: 1 the way a consumer can gather his/her knowledge and advice, and 2: the price has been driven down a lot, in some cases enough to destroy some of the best brand names in the business, because PRICE became the number one selling factor........
Just like when polk went mass market by signing an agreement with Circuit City, or when Infinity has 4-5 different lines , one for each of the major retailers (which one was the real infinity?)
We all want to be fair, but when the playing field isn't , its very hard to not cry the blues and try to get something done with it.
Some examples:
Bose is the best selling speaker in the world, and they price fix, and they probably make the most profit per item as well. They also keep on growing, and are by some considered the model of which many brands (both in AV and out) would most like to be.
M&K speakers and subwoofers we in my opinion, one of the best sounding speaker and subs in the business. American made, built well and worth every penny (look at the amount of bose on ebay and then try to find a M&K product on there) the closed their doors this year because the couldn't stay price competitive because of the mass move to china, and they wanted to stay American made. Sad story
Apple computers, have always been expensive, but at same time worth every penny.
PC (not in all cases) have been forced into a price war, mainly because there are too many companies in the business, so they work on miniscule margins and are constantly making a cheaper quality machine filled with the latest gear, or are going out of business or being swallowed by one of the bigger companies.
Last thing, lets get off our asses and start to demand a few things of ourselves.......
Buy better stuff, and look for American/Canadian and or Japanese products (shooot anything but Chinese! Moving all manufacturing to China will come back to haunt us). note: Japan is also suffering heavy from the Chinese industrial revolution, their economy is tanked like ours.
When you go to an AV shop, remember he or she is real, there to help you, and simply that costs money, and he or she will earn the money if you are respectful to the game. Please don't even go to an AV shop and audition speakers or receiver or theater chairs, or TV's, I say this because, how are you going to hear them, or see them, if you research and buy online....
All speakers sound the same online, all receiver sound the same online, and those theater chairs, they feel awesome, right? feels like your on your office chair, or the couch don't they? Oh and one last thing, The brand X HDTV projector for 999 looks awesome on your 19" lcd screen , that you bought online!
----sorry for venting there