> And people buying expensive ones are probably inclined to try new ones based on recommendations of their local dedicated store. Local third wave coffee shops

> And people buying expensive ones are probably inclined to try new ones based on recommendations of their local dedicated store. Local third wave coffee shops can only afford to stock a small variety from a small number of roasters due to the short lifespan of freshly roasted coffee. There are several online multi-roaster coffee marketplaces e.g., Crema.co, because the broad variety problem is not feasible to solve locally. If you know that you like a fairly specific kind of coffee, like a natural process fruit-forward Ethiopian, you are lucky to find 1-2 versions of this locally at a given time whereas online you might find a dozen or more. The best thing you can do to support your local shop is buy their freshly brewed coffee or espresso drinks (and tip the baristas well). Much more of their profit comes from that than bulk beans. I support both personally and don't see them as conflicting with each other.