I was in college in the 1970s. I was using photography for income shooting sports for the local newspaper so that I could eat. We had a few camera shops in town but I found that I could mail order gear at a 30% discount at the time. As I developed a rapport with these shop owners- buying film, paper and chemicals from them I could sometimes get a good discount on gear from them- but not always. My best over the counter purchase was an electronic flash with a one year replacement warranty. It was not professional grade- ie not for everyday use. I would wear the flash out in about 6 months. The shop owner replaced it for me over the counter, no problem for about two years. I miss those relationships. A few years later I walked into a camera store and offered the owner cash at a discounted price for a lens. He kicked me out of his store. Gotta take the bad with the good.
I miss all the stereo shops and camera shops but we all got what we deserved. We chose discounts over personalized service. My biggest frustration is it takes me an extra 20 minutes to search through the big box store looking for a schedule 40 elbow when back in the day all I had to do was walk into the hardware store, show the proprietor what I needed and he would get it for me. Plus he would offer helpful advice on how to best complete my little project. Looking back, all that helpful advice was priceless.