I know exactly what you mean...our LQS is owned by a lovely person, but her opening hours are a little odd and as the shopping centre the store is in is a little out of the way....so often I give it a miss and make a list for when I go to our next regional centre about 30 mins away. There are 2 large chains, plus a quite large LQS there so usually I can find what I need between the three.
I try and support our LQS, but fabrics are limited and far more expensive than the larger stores, so mostly I buy thread or small bits and pieces. Reality is, most of us don't have large amounts of money to splash out just to keep the little guys going....sad, but true of our times.