Joe Krolik of Comics America in Winnipeg, Manitoba saw Steve Bennett's column on why comics should be more expensive (see 'Confessions of a Comic Book Guy--Resolved: Comic Books Should Be More Expensive') and had this response:

One point that everyone seems to miss in the discussion of formats is that we have a very unique business.  In fact, I can't think of another business anywhere which can guarantee new products in a consistent line (i.e. each title) that come out on a regular monthly (more or less) schedule and ensure that customers will regularly return for subsequent purchases.  It's not like clothing, shoes, appliances, furniture, or any hard goods.  It's not even like movies because even if sequels are made, they are on a much longer time interval.

The thing that drives this business is the periodical.  If you scrap the periodical format in favor of trade paperbacks or some other modified format, and assuming that you can publish them with enough content and frequency, then all specialty shops become, in effect, 'just another independent bookstore.'  We all know what's been happening to many such independent bookstores over the past decade.  Need I say more?