I don`t think it`s strange that I can purchase from my LDS for the same price as online retailers charge. After all there are always good business people that understand that it is better to move merchandise out the door making 1 cent than to let a customer that walked in your door walk out empty handed. The empty handed customer may never return but the customer that got a good deal will and will spend more money in the future. Next time they may need something serviced.(a great place to make a fair profit) Maybe they are ready to get some advanced training. Who will they remember the place where the equipment is expensive or the friendly LDS where they got a great deal on their gear.
As for manufacturers controlling pricing that isn`t the case they control the price you can advertise but not the price you can charge. They can not stop you from advertizing that you will not be undersold.
Bottom line compete or die! If the local customer base will support it 1 LDS will always survive. In most cases a few will and those will be the better shops anyway. I`d rather have 1 good shop a reasonable trip from me that 5 shops that do their jobs half as well.