LHS having it too good?

[Patrick67 1]

We have 8 Icehockey clubs around here (25-30km radius), and only 2 LHS's

One is a THC dealer(little Easton selection, mostly sticks), and the other BauerNike.

Besides those 2 there is an unauthorized shop (guy's basement), where they have Innovative & Itech stuff (plus the rare and odd mission stick/shaft).

We are ok covered in brand wise, but the prices are very high.

e.g. Z-bubble shaft - 220-250$'s

CCM V110 shaft - 150$'s

Rbk 9k Pump skate - 780-800$'s

Vector Pro's - 600$'s

The BauerNike shop has better prices, in the OPS/shaft department, but similar prices in other equipment.

XX shaft - 125$'s

X shaft - 125$'s

Endure shaft - 125$'s

Bauer XXX skates - 700$'s

the BauerNike shop guy is cool, decent prices (buy my sticks there) and super fast delivery if you order something uncommen like a XV RB, took 2 day's, from BauerNike's storehouse in Europe. But that might have something to do with better distribution/set-up.

But the reason he is cool, is that he doesn't give a sh*t if his customer uses other brands than NikeBauer. He doesn't go to a expensive grocery store, if there's one around the corner with better stuff and service for less money, so why should we, is the way he'll put it.

While the THC LHS, always looks at what players are useing at a tournament, if he happens to be there. And then bitches about it the next time you are in the store, even though you've been buying stuff there for 5+years...

E.g. have a Itech visor on my helmet, which was alot cheaper, and overall a better visor than the ones offered in the THC shop.

Yet he bitches about it the next time you enter his store, and makes it sound/feel like you should buy some euipment there to "make-up" for your dealing in a competitors store... He's bad with equipment bought overseas aswell, but can sorta reason with the fact that you can't buy it in a shop around here...

Germany has some cheap online stores with good selection and very good prices on some things.

Is it fair he bitches about you buying a better visor for less money from his local competition?

And players around here sorta got the feeling his shop has the monopoly on selling equipment here, do you (especially LHS owners) feel that 2 shops for 8 Icehockey clubs is bad for competition, or the norm?? I.e. are they having it very good compared to the shop/club ratio in your own city?

Most other city's have 1 club and 1 local store for the basics, while the 2 stores here have 8 clubs to sell too, plus players from the other clubs visit the THC store when they are in town playing, because their own selections in their respective city's is bad.