Stevek76 wrote:The main issue though is convenience rather than price, like most independent shops in this country their opening times seem to largely coincide with the 'normal' work day.
Yeah but the same's true of many car mechanics outside of the big cities and few seem to have problems with arranging their car going in to the shop. It's one of a few things where bikes seem to be treated less seriously than other vehicles.
The other thing is that it seems like only fairly traditional workplaces now let their workers have a late start or early finish once a week so they can go to things like that. That said, I don't know if the others give their workers extra holidays to allow them to take half-days (or hours, possibly?) off now and again instead and it's just that the workers don't use them like that and prefer to try to save them up to extend the summer holiday or whatever.