I wouldn't call it 'got smart', I just call it 'no longer seeing the value of professional dealer'. And no matter what the markup is, the 'consumer' shouldn't even know what cost is in the first place. People want too much for too little, thats all. Cant exactly expect good shops to hang around when its like that, but im sure all the same people will be crying about how all the shops ****, and leave them with a half - a s s install.
btw, by comparsion to your analogy, we are less than the big box stores, who would represent the 'big grocery store'. You are not going to find 'dealer pricing' at your grocery store lol, that would be a 'farmers market'. Which is more or less who we would be in the picture. Is it idiotic that your paying that grocery store 800% markup?
btw we do charge more for installs when people go online and make sure they know that if they have warranty issues, the also will be charged for removal and reinstall too.
Bottom line is, if I need to de-value myself and work for pennies just to do car audio, its not worth it. 20+ years of pro experience counts for something, and has value, and we charge for it. For you to hire me to do your install, it has to cost a certain amount, period. Im not an 18 year old kid straight out of high school who just knows how to do basic stuff, and is worth $10 per hr. Whether or not you want that over the 'cheapest' thing you can find is a personal choice, it is your car after all, just don't complain about the end result if you go the lowest cost route.