When I shop, I sometimes find an item in a physical store, then go home, find it online and buy it for less. That is often how we think of the web these days: our hidden shopping buddy. (How guilty do you feel taking a camera phone picture in a store knowing that you're going home to track down the item online?)
With that said, I wish there was a way to help level the playing field between physical stores and online stores. (Did you ever think one would voice pity for physical stores? They are after all also the ones raking in the big bucks on 5th Ave.) But, not every store is on 5th Ave. There are plenty that are struggling. What about Internet only stores? Do they some how have an unfair advantage since they don't have to pay the high rents and store the brand's goods? I'm not sure. But, it raises the question: should manufacturers supply goods to web only stores? What if the web only store does not discount and sells the items at the same price (MSRP) as the physical store?
Some may say that online shoppers 'use' the physical store as a testing ground, only to buy the item online. However, one could also say that shoppers use online stores in that they may find the item online, read about it, and then insist on purchasing it in physical store. In that way, both physical and online stores are in a symbiotic relationship, helping each other's customers to purchase from the other.