I agree with many of the comments here. Each fabric, no matter what the source, should be judged on its' quality by the feel, weight, thread count and design. With the differences in prices, it is economical for me to buy from a variety of sources and online seems to be my current 'go to'. I try to find out about the quality of a particular fabric that I want and then order online if I can. Even when shipping is taken into account the cost is usually better than buying local. I would like to support our local businesses and do when I can but every dollar saved allows me to buy more.
There is a fabric chain here that used to be almost an equivalent to JA that has recently increased their prices to $18 - $24 a meter, which is way too costly for my budget. The LQSs are selling fabric from $12 - $18. Unless there are good sales, buying supplies are expensive - it is not a cheap hobby.
Really, when you think about all the different fabric companies and fabric lines that are continuously being released and all the thousands of quilting/sewing products, from pins to machines that are available for sale, overall, it is a multi billion dollar business.