Dealers are loosing money because online options cater to todays need for instant gratification and busy life style.
Lets face it, everyone is too damn busy any more. You can get online with Ebay and at least 10 MX specific retailers, every product is at your fingertips. You order you stuff and pay for it from the convenience of you home, bathroom or on the job while youre supposed to be working. Within a day or 2 the stuff Is on your porch, if someone doesn't steal it.
RMATV does give back to the sport. I know its a marketing ploy that works in their favor but that's all the local shops are hoping for when they donate as well. And RMATV, when they use FEDEX and not the post office, has the stuff on my porch the next day. I only order hard parts from them and they stock everything Ive ever needed for all our bikes except a side case half for a YZ125 I fixed.
Now Kames is a perfect example here. I order all my accessories and gear through them. Pricing is just as good, service is better and the delivery time is very close. Ive never ordered something Monday that I haven't had by the weekend. Even so people simply dont want to take the time to drive there to order it and then again to pick it up. If you have been there lately, the show room is smaller and bare. They used to have a huge showroom fully stocked with lots of mx stuff. They stopped stocking because people weren't buying. Its sad because they really care about the sport and did a lot to support CRA and OMA. But if the money isn't being spent in their shop they cant continue to do that.
The days of supporting local is over IMO and is only going to get worse as my generation phases out of riding
