Any possibility that some retailers abuse customers with inflated prices?

I remember when EMS first opened (early 1970s), everyone could afford it, even poor students. Seems to have become . . . yuppified these days and out of my price range. REI has a good line of store-brand equipment and sales, so I try to both demo and purchase there when possible.

I think there is a set of consumer behavior patterns that ALL retailers have to take into consideration; it's just the law of capitalist competition. We need information, access to goods, service, and the lowest possibe price, same as when I buy a car or any other item. If I can find all of those necessary components of my purchase at one store, and even better allocal store, I'm ecstatic. If that doesn't happen, I have to piece together those components at different stores. I don't think the consumer shold be blamed for the lack of local retailers, lack of inventory at local retailers, or high prices that drive them elsewhere. I'm not talking about saving "a few nickels," but savings of up to 60%.

If I were the president of, say, EMS,
I would be thinking, "Hmm . . .lots of people are coming into our stores, trying on backpacks, and buying those packs online. Why aren't they buying them from EMS? What do we need to change to get them to buy here?" Any store that's NOT thinking in those terms in this economy is going to be in trouble.

Do you feel compelled to buy a car from the first dealer where you do a test drive? Or do you test drive the car and then do some more research to find the best price?