Most of the stores I buy from have a 1/2 yard minumum but will cut in any increments beyond that.
I like to make scrappy quilts so for the most part I don't need full yards. While I like to support my local quilt shops sometmes they just don't have what I am looking for.
I purchased 20 pieces of 1/2 yard cuts for a quilt so the cost came to $180. If I had to purchase 1 yard cut it would have cost $360 and I never would have made the quilt and the shop would have lost the sale.
If a quilt shop will cut a 1/2 yeard for a customer that comes into a store I don't know why they would have a different rule for an online customer. A sale is a sale.