One example of a concept gone wrong that killed an entire sport, Windsurfing. I grew up in Las Vegas, where in the 1980's there was a highpoint for windsurfing and at one point there were 3 shops in town.
Now, with a capitalist interest in business survival, these shops promoted the sport and grew it to the largest point the region had seen, with 1500 people attending weekend competitions. These shops laid the ground work for local promotion, and they backed it up with in store customer service and instruction.
Years later when I hit high school and finally got some wheels, there was not a single shop or instructor in town to be found, and on a good wind day there may be 15 guys at the beach.
Turns out that while I was studying in school these dedicated shop owners closed one by one, unable to compete with catalog sales and direct sales from manufacturers.
So when the time came, unfortunately there was no one to teach me to windsurf or show me what gear I needed for my area. Sure I could buy a rig online, if I knew what to look for. But that thought quickly disappeared when I realized I would be alone on the beach with no one to show me how to properly rig the gear, let alone use it.
So my lust for wind turned to power kites and paragliding and now I am a proud kiteboarder. I look back on other industries mistakes, and my passion for kiteboarding won't allow me to jump on the band wagon and help destroy my favorite sport.
The bottom line is without local retailers the sport won't grow, and with them it grows massively, and safely.
Windzup,
Brian Schenck
Ozone Kites USA