Her’s my take on the issue. I think many heimish store owners misunderstand the Mishne in Avot: “Yehi mamon chavercha chaviv k’shelcha.” They hold the customer’s money dear as their own becuase they believe they are entitled to it, and assume they are entitled to the patronage of the frum community. The assumption that they are entitled to that patronage works against a heimish storekeeper working too hard to satisfy or impress the customer. A sense of entitlement is hard work’s biggest enemy. But if those storekeepers would read the Mishne properly, customers just might appreciate the efforts of the shopkeeper to help them and save them money, which would result in more patronage.
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