Our sales rep says this will be a very difficult year for small shops. Her (inside) view - and her territory covers several states - is that it is difficult for them to afford to stock a wide enough variety to entice customers to come in. That's sad, because we love to cheer for "the little guy"... and in this case, the little guy is at a distinct disadvantage.
I think this year is going weed out anyone who has not been making wise business decisions.