Store auditioning and then buying on-line from others. How do you feel about it ?

I have never walked into a brick-and-mortar shop without the motivation, funds, and a price in my head that I would be willing to pay if the demoed equipment passes muster and the retailer will negotiate. Otherwise it’s a waste of time and energy all around. Get your jollies at the audio shows; do business with the retailer.

It is wrong an unfair. It costs them money to have a room, to have gear... It's not only the time spent with the customer. And it is not sustainable behavior. It will kill stores on the long run, just like book stores and Amazon. 

Ok- so let's put this in concrete terms. Item X available at a traditional store for $2,000, new with warranty, and available on line, new with warranty, for exactly 1/2 the price. As a consumer, are you obligated to sustain the brick and mortar retailer above your own pecuniary interests? 

@zavato. I think, if one has taken the LAS's time to audition its item and it was cool about it, one should then give the LAS to opportunity to match that online 1/2 price before clicking "buy-it."  If it's close, probably better to go with the LAS, particularly if it has a good reputation for questions and support.

"Obligated" to pay double?  No.  Morally obligated to give the LAS a fair shot to earn the business by price or service?  I personally think so.

I suspect some places, if you are up front about it and they aren't busy, will still offer a brief audition even if only to try to establish a relationship or future sale, even if they can't/won't match the online price.  Or offer some added benefit--maybe delivery and set-up or something to justify a slightly higher price.

I do  my best to support local business. I am willing to pay more when provided value added. Its that simple.

Here’s a story. I went to a local shop Monday after Thanksgiving and auditioned headphones with my Chord Mojo DAC. Ended up buying a pair of Grado phones I auditioned. Except none in stock so dealer imdicated they could order it for me from their store on Amazon and have it shipped to me. So they did. All good. I even got a 10% cyber Monday discount

Two weeks later now and still no phones delivered. Maybe tomorrow. Turns out they had to have the phones shipped to the store first which took longer than expected and then ship them to me. They were in the store finally yesterday.

I could probably have ordered them straight on Amazon wih Amazon prime and had them sent straight to me in two days. Now I got an online discount plus dealer has to cover two shipping costs.

Just weird. Where is the profit in that?  Very inefficient process for everyone.