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Physical stores are becoming polarised towards mainstream products whereas online is picking up the more obscure items which in turn are often sourced through drop-shipping or SOR arrangements.

Physical stores can't afford to stock an odd widget that might get one customer a month, so they simply don't bother.

Meanwhile customers search online and find half a dozen small websites (and probably a few traders on Amazon or Ebay) selling exactly what they're looking for.

This is part of the gradual erosion of physical retail and the rise of online as an option of first choice. It's certainly my first port of call for most things these days.