I think dealers like you mention are simply trying to find the business model that will keep their doors open and some money in their pockets. Clearly there are exceptions to all of this but as an audio hobbyist clearly that store isn’t going to be catered to people like me. It’s catered to deep pockets. “One and done” mentioned above is appropriate except if that big purchase leads to another big purchase for their beach house, then a long term relationship is desirable. Does that mean they miss the occasional big purchaser? Probably, but at the expense of catering to a lot of non purchasers which may require additional staff to serve.
That sort of experience is probably typical of any luxury goods dealer (For example me pulling up in my Hyundai to a Porsche dealership) though admittedly I don’t have a lot of experience with luxury goods retailers. The hobbyist (me) would just eat their time with no significant financial reward for them. Do I like it? No. That’s not how it used to be in my hifi dessert part of the country but that’s just how the business is these days. The hobbyists are relegated to the internet and hifi shows, after all it’s the internet that’s forced many dealers to have that sort of business model to begin with but there were some like that even before the internet.
For me, I’ve been fine with relying on the internet. Buy and try. Don’t like it, sell and move on. If I were ever in the market for new Magico’s or Wilson’s, well that would be a different story as I would then become one of the customers a retailer would want in their doors.
That sort of experience is probably typical of any luxury goods dealer (For example me pulling up in my Hyundai to a Porsche dealership) though admittedly I don’t have a lot of experience with luxury goods retailers. The hobbyist (me) would just eat their time with no significant financial reward for them. Do I like it? No. That’s not how it used to be in my hifi dessert part of the country but that’s just how the business is these days. The hobbyists are relegated to the internet and hifi shows, after all it’s the internet that’s forced many dealers to have that sort of business model to begin with but there were some like that even before the internet.
For me, I’ve been fine with relying on the internet. Buy and try. Don’t like it, sell and move on. If I were ever in the market for new Magico’s or Wilson’s, well that would be a different story as I would then become one of the customers a retailer would want in their doors.