rockrug:This has me thinking...my day job is a magazine journalist. I cover the auto parts business, and many of the same problems faced by small LDS are also faced by the small indy auto parts stores.
Or the small hardware stores cometing against Lowes and Home Depot.
Or the small full-serve gas station from the 70's competing against that new self-serve c-store down the street.
Or the small grocery store competing against the big supermarket chain.
Or the small-town store competing against WalMart.
etc...
etc...
etc...
I think Americans are becoming more and more thrifty with their spending (that's what makes these bigger, high-volume, stores successful. You are losing something however by paying the lower prices... Remember when you could get gas without getting out of your car? Remeber when you could get your tires topped off without having to dig through your ashtray for a couple quarters? The guy would even clean your winshield and check your oil for you for "free" (I realize you're paying for this with the higher costs). Remember when you could talk to a guy about which hammer or whatchamicallit would be best for your use and the guy acutally KNEW what he was talking about (Instead of it's on aisle 328 sir).
If that's what the customer wants, that's what the customer's going to get. The good consumer will do their homework and know what they want/need, know how to check their own oir, clean their own winshield, and save a few cents per gallon by pumping their own gas.
Is this what we want from the SCUBA industry? (not like we have much of a choice - I realize the direction things are going) The experienced diver and educated conusmer would say yes. I for one would gladly insert my credit card at the local "self-serve" air-fill station if it were available. Some of the manufactures are trying to keep the little guy shop in business (Aqualung's warranty policy comes to mind) just like some of the states/towns have tried to keep the small shops in business (ever wonder why it's illegal to pump your own gas in the state of New Jersey?).
I agree, the shift is going to happen... The consumers just need to be ready to have less services available to them.
Sorry for the long winded reply... Just my thoughts...