One additional issue is that while you might walk into the local shop, look around, get served by the local salesperson, have them provide recommendations or co

One additional issue is that while you might walk into the local shop, look around, get served by the local salesperson, have them provide recommendations or compariaons on different products, etc and "have a good experience", once you take the purchasing journey online much of this non-transactional experience disappears, so price becomes much more of a deciding factor. Most people don't 'shop around' too much for a few dollars less in meatspace, but when its all online (especially in an Amazon-style marketplace where products are compared between multiple sellers), customers are much more likely to pick whichever seller is cheaper, which isn't exactly appealing to business owners!