I have to say, my local shop here is fantastic. I'm really going to miss it.
The range and service is incredible. They have it all : from Shoestring, Modified Canon DSLRs and all the way through to SBIG, Planewave and Software Bisque and my fav, a 1.5 million dollar 40" f8 OGS RC!!!
http://www.galileo.cc/francais/boutique_fabricants.php
Sure I buy a lot of stuff online, but it's also great to be able walk into the shop and get some advice or check that the parts all fit togther.
Price is another matter. As an example, my local shop has a 5mw green laser pointer for $134. I can the same thing on
www.dealextreme.com for $12 USD including shipping. You can't beat that!