Yeah, it makes it hard to support the local business sometimes. On big parts, Rock really nails you on shipping, though- sometimes the local store will win out in that regard. And sometimes they'll price match, it's worth it to ask.
But the big advantage to local stores is that you can hold the part in your hands and tell right away whether it's the right part, without having to mess with return authorizations or the argument that ensues when they try to tell you that YOU ordered the wrong part, and it couldn't possibly be their listing that was wrong...
:BangHead: