That is a shame to hear. I hope you are able and willing to talk them out of it!
(Insert sarcasm emote) Store owners love to see you buy things online then play for free in their space😉
I believe that we, as the consumer, drive what the stores sell. It wasn’t always this way, and I think some have a problem with that paradigm shift. Local distributors and stores do not determine what we play and buy, thankfully. If there is no demand from their customers to make it worth the hassle, I don’t blame them either. I do think agency lies within our wallets, though. If they lose revenue to competitors because of a line they chose not to carry, it’s on them.
Either way, a homogenous game community, supported by a distribution chain that carries only what they determine has value (based on their exclusive deals), is not great for gaming in the long term.
Enough of my ramblings. I will continue to do my part! I have money to spend, a Ulix crew to finish up, and Guild to crush.