Actually my local tackle store has fairly competitive prices despite being a tiny store. And yes, as said, he always seems to know what is being caught and where - very helpful.
Another thing he does, is he tries to stock some cheaper lesser known brands, that he finds are good quality - which he can judge, not only by build quality and appearance, but whether he gets many returns from his customers. I bought a reel from him, brand unheard of by me, but he said he'd been stocking it for a while, and his customers were happy with them. Well, add me to the list, it's been a great reel for me too. Saved me heaps.