The unfortunate problem with LHBSs is that it is a relatively small market for them to sell into, and customers don't go in there every week to buy stuff, so turnover must be quite small. My LHBS shut about a year ago and whenever I went in there was never anyone else in the place. Added to that lots of people buy off the internet at discounted prices probably from a larger selection and that reduces their customer base even more. Just remember what happened when Tesco had one of their frequent sales (before they stopped selling home brew stuff) people would come on here and gleefully tell us what they had bought at a big saving, all trade lost to LHBSs.