OwlHarbor Loc: Pacific North West USA

The biggest business in the USA is small business's but they get the minority of tax breaks. I read that Amazon paid $0 in taxes in 2018 because of R&D and other legal means to avoid paying taxes. I support my local stores when I can because of a belief that they should be there and convenience. I carry my phone and check prices online and ask the salespeople can they match; sometimes they can and I buy on the spot. A small shop is at a disadvantage because they do not match the volume buying of the big stores. I think we owe it to ourselves and family and business to spend the least amount for a purchase. We are a world economy and there are world business's that have subsidiaries within the US. I think there are few (companies) if any that is one country owned.

mtbear

According to Torah scholars, not buying from them is sinful because you have stolen their time and services.

DeanS Loc: Capital City area of North Carolina

How long will you have a local b&m to shop at if you and many others practice this. After all, they ARE in business to SELL as well as offer advice. I shop local amap.

jdedmonds

And that day is inevitable and much closer than we think

Wanderer2 Loc: Colorado Rocky Mountains

Wow, what a huge response to this question!! IMHO, this cuts both ways. Many years ago, when I was a fairly young man, I was in LA for a meeting. I wanted to buy a tripod and went to one of the largest photography equipment shops in LA at the time and asked to be shown tripods. The middle aged sales person showed me one and when I asked to see another he replied "We only show items to people who are going to buy them," thus declining to show me anything further. I had a slightly hippy look at that time I guess, mostly a modest sized beard (much less prevalent then than now) and apparently he concluded from this I was not financially able to buy a tripod. The store was almost entirely empty so there certainly wasn't any pressure on him to wait on someone else. I had enough cash in my wallet to buy most any of the tripods they had. At one other time I had a somewhat similar experience, although not nearly as severe, at a camera store in San Francisco when I was living there.

Perhaps these experiences have influenced my attitude on this question but my answer is "obligated, no", not obligated for someone simply doing their job properly. However, if the service was good I believe that store should be the prospective buyers first preference and buy there unless there is a good reason to buy elsewhere, and that good reason can vary from situation to situation and is a matter of judgment by the buyer. For me, I'm now retired and on a limited income so yes, price does play a role. One option if their is a really large price difference is ask the store if they can come at least closer to a lower price that is available elsewhere.

Just my thoughts and personal opinion.

Gallopingphotog

We don't have a camera store anymore (unless you count Best Buy, ha ha), largely for the very reason that people would check out the merchandise, then head to the internet. I use B&H and am very happy with their customer service. But I do miss the hands-on benefit of a local store (be it locally owned or a chain). I would happily patronize an on-site store, even at somewhat higher prices (within reason -- my money bag weighs a lot less than my camera bag!) When we travel somewhere that does have a camera store, I surely check it out. If I like it, I get my sensors cleaned there, and always buy something in addition, even if it's only some SD cards or UV filters, etc.

NH Mitch Loc: Southern NH

It’s good to see that so many on this forum appreciate the position of the small business owner.
But some of you don’t have a clue about ethics.
I’m an optometrist and the owner of an optical shop. Not unlike the owners of those disappearing brick and mortar camera shops. We generally can’t compete with the big box stores or on line merchants on price.
But we do offer somethings that they can’t like expert advice and hands on opportunity. Maintaining an inventory, paying rent , insurance and staff , is not free folks.
If you come in and get prices fine, take that price and shop around.
But if you get advice or play with the gear then either you are a person of principle or you are not.

AndyH Loc: Massachusetts and New Hampshire

Where are you located? I'm going to need new progressive bifocals soon and I won't do the Zenni/Warby Parker thing.

Andy in Keene

PixelStan77 Loc: Vermont/Chicago

Yes.

Dragonophile

I am not an expert but I know this is not technically true. Have you ever used Greentoe? Authorized dealers can & do sell for less than the MSRP. As I understand it - and I have been known to be wrong - authorized dealers CAN NOT ADVERTISE prices less than the MSRP. This does not prohibit them from offering individual deals. Big stores like B&H sort of bend the advertising rule by simply offering "extras" or discounts on future purchases.

DaveyDitzer Loc: Western PA

I want my clocal camera stores to not only survive but thrive.[/quote]
I live in Pgh and my options for local camera store are few; even fewer if I don't include walmart or best buy.
I think Bernie's is the last of the lot.

LWW Loc: Banana Republic of America

I tend to agree.

ERay

When I had a local camera store, I shopped there because I appreciated them showing me equipment and I wanted them to succeed. Unfortunately I do not have a local camera store, so I go with places like B&H and Adorama. I live in Maryland and those mail-order stores are now charging sales tax on orders. It doesn't bother me because our state needs the taxes.

foggypreacher Loc: Dickinson, Texas

I live about 45 mins from downtown Houston. I do not drive into the city as I get confused and disoriented sometimes. That is the closest B&M shop that is exclusively cameras that I have found. Another that was much closer moved to his second shop which is even farther away.

I have done some business through Best Buy (I bought my current camera from them online). At that time I knew nothing about the B&H or Adorama online stores and bought initial accys from Amazon. Since then, I have bought a lens and a camera bag from B&H and a lens from Adorama and a tripod from a member here. The other items I have purchased have been online retailers since I cannot easily get to the B&M store. If I could get to them, I feel that I would buy from them as I am fiercely loyal when I am able to get all the various types of help needed.

DaveYoung

That extra service costs the local retailer time and money, an expense that the big box and internet retailers do not have. The local retailer pays a ton of taxes into the community. The local retailer also is often a big contributer to community schools, to organizations such as scouting, and other youth groups. They compete with the Amazon's of the world who pay little to nothing in taxes and keep all the profit in some far away place. State and local governments actually increase taxes on small businesses while giving mega millions of "incentives" to the big retailers. I know we all have to pinch our pennies, but do not think that your local retailer is ripping you off. He is one of a dieing breed and we will all be worse off when he is extinct.