I just had to add that everyones experience seems pretty much the same around the world. Here in Australia some items are MUCH more expensive than can be found in the USA, even with international shipping. BUT 90% of stuff can be got locally at around the same price not inc shipping.

My LHS, ALWAYS will meet or beat an Australian competitors price if you ask, if you dont ask, dont expect him to. He's honest if he cant or knows that you can get it cheaper elsewhere. EG: I wanted a YS63S, straight off the bat he says, try Singapore hobbies or Central hobbies in the USA. Being so far from the rest of the world some importers here dont even try to match prices, therefore the retailers cant, he knows it and it ticks him off. Im currently putting together a 2m pattern plane, when it came to getting some specialised parts he told me to buy from elsewhere as his prices cant get anywhere near it. BUT when it came to the big purchase, like the OS140RX, he beat every price in Australia, online and in the magazines, I "Could've" got it from USA or Singapore for about $50-80 cheaper inc the shipping but "IF" I had a problem with it and it needed warranty work, Id be out because it would have to go back to the USA, the return shipping alone would make the total purchase more expensive than being able to return it to him to deal with. However having said that some of the suppliers/importers here in Australia are pathetically slow with service so . . I recently bought some servo's from him, I went in armed with the info on prices and ponted out that for the price he wanted I could get them shipped from the other side of the country, he beat the inc shipping price by 10% and had them for me in the same time I'd have waited. For me thats what I want, to support the local guy at the right price.
You CAN NOT expect your LHS to survive on selling you the low $ items alone. Like everyone says, talk to them about meeting prices or at least getting within the other price plus shipping.