A small hockey shop is not a multi-million dollar car dealership. You know that.
If you’re new to hockey, I apologize. Small shops have been struggling against big box retailers like monkey sports and pure hockey and online options for years. Some are making it work, some are getting swallowed up. It’s creating a huge lack of local services and knowledgeable people to service equipment. And that small shop experience is near and dear to many people on here.
Hockey equipment isn’t marked up to then be discounted like cars. Part of what you are paying for is a specialized service and knowledge that those local shops have. Prices are what they are because the of what the companies charge. If you’re arguing down the cost of equipment, you’re not sticking it to Johnny Bauerington Jr, you’re taking money anyway from a small store that’s probably doing it as much for a passion for the game as they are a livelihood. No one is putting their money and time into a hockey store in 2021 because they think it’s solely a good investment. There’s a love for the game there. I’d rather buy stuff from them than Walmart and Amazon.