Local bike shops are pretty much the lifeblood of the MTB industry. That's why you almost never see larger bike and component brands with their own online stores - they don't want to compete with their retailers. The downside is that it can be difficult to get your hands on certain products if your local shop doesn't stock them.

Syncros came up with a cool plan to sell online without cannibalizing their dealer sales. They set up an online store on their site and then have all orders shipped/fulfilled by the Syncros dealer closest to your address. You get your product, the shop makes some cash, and Syncros sells another stem or crankset or whatever. Expect this model to be copied by more brands in the future.