I’ll start off by saying that I can sympathise with the author’s post and agree with much of it.
However, in my business, we are an ‘End Service Provider’ (manufacturer if you will) and we have ‘suppliers’ (fly shops if you will) and we support those ‘suppliers’ by giving them volume/preferred discounts. However, we do not refuse those customers (public if you will) who want to do direct business with us but we do not provide the same price direct to the customer as we do to the suppliers, it is typically +10% to 20% more than the 'suppliers' price.
So a Customer can deal direct from me or from the supplier, who by the time adds his markup, is at least equal to my direct price, but is often even higher. The ‘Supplier’ can justify his increased price based on value added services he can offer, which I cannot. This may suit most customers, but not all.
Let’s use ‘car buying’ as an example. If Customer A wants to buy a car through the ‘dealer’ because he wants to also buy an extended warranty, undercoating, accessories, etc, and wants/needs to work through the dealer, then he should.
BUT, if Customer B, doesn’t need all that crap, and wants to buy direct from the manufacturer for a price which may/may not be competitive with the dealer, then he should have that choice.
b.t.w, I don’t shop at Walmart, Costco, Cabelas and refrain from shopping at other Gorillas.