Selling Cameras in the Internet Age

I prefer to shop in local "mom & pop" stores. That way, at least a part of my money stays in the local economy, and it maintains the nice-to-have services in the neighborhood. However, I'm neither rich enough nor altruistic enough to do this at any price. A well-run Internet mail-order company can undercut the mom & pop operation in price, at least somewhat, so to have my hard-earned, the local stores will have to find other ways to compete. With a few exceptions, they've failed.

I've decided that the mom & pop premium that I'm willing to pay, compared to ordering my stuff from, say, Germany, is between 10% and 20%, after factoring in all expenses like shipping and handling and so on -- more in per cent for the little stuff, less for the big stuff. However, to get the dough, the moms and pops have to make it worth it. I expect to be treated fairly, to have my (reasonable) questions answered, and especially to have the knowledge that if I have a problem, for example with a warranty issue, that they will help me take care of it. Since the little stores can't compete with price, they will have to do it with service. Making claims on my moral sense alone won't do it.