Sorry you were disappointed with your experience, but you can't assume that all quilt shops will address all needs. They cater to what their customers express an interest in. Out of the 5 quilt shops I go to, 3 not only carry hand quilting stuff, but hold classes on it. The other two haven't a clue about handwork. All 5 have applique, but only one seriously supports hand applique without fusibles.
It's no different from the knitting shops. At my local store, the first 3 years they were in business, they only had expertise on socks and felting. That was it. They finally hired someone who actually knitted sweaters. They still primarily focus on socks and scarves because that is what the women who are buying yarn are making.
I've been quilting long enough to know that we lost 3 valuable shops over the last 15 years due to retirement or health issues. These were shop owners with decades of experience in all forms of quilting. At the same time, those who hand quilt have dwindled down to a small percentage of quilters.
My suggestion is that instead of dissing your LQS, tell them what tools you need on a regular basis. The shop closest to me now carries very nice needles for hand piecing and quilting and hand applique as well as silk thread and an assortment of hand quilting thread. They may not have the special tools, but if you tell them about it, they may stock it.