perhaps not in audiophilia, but in the a/v world, there are still *very* strong retail boundries.
where i work, we regularly do very high level integration and theater designs all over the country...continent even. i know for every new project, the boss has to call whatever premium manufacturers we're including in the project to obtain clearance for the area. there are shipping logistics, royalties to share, service and support agreements from the local retailer/integrator, and warranty and service clarifications as a result. there's a whole lot of conference calling, and a whole lot more paperwork
. every once in while, if the local retailer is a really big dog, we're not allowed to offer a particular product and have to either substitute or simply let the local retailer supply the components. i often share my programming and project notes with the local retailer, and we work closely with them and contract them out local service.
while both the territorial and remote retailer have to share a bit of the profits, at the end of the day the integrity of the brand is maintained and the consumer is guaranteed top-flight support in the event of questions, troubleshooting, and local support.
it's understandable a manufacturer wants to protect the retailers that have worked so hard to build and represent the brand name properly, though i think sbrtoy hit the nail on the head: the rules of economy apply here in that a manufacturer must constantly be ever-evolving to meet the needs of both the retailer and consumer.
