On the other hand, when I lived in Tucson, a local climbing store was started by a kid still in high school, initially as a way to buy his own gear at wholesale. The enterprise was a huge success, because the proprietor was a skilled and knowledgeable climber. He and all his sales staff knew their field, and the gear they were selling, extremely well.

For a quick test in the typical retail establishment, I try and determine if the sales people know some of the material in their sales brochures. Lots of places flunk.