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Poetic
@Tomo187
For me the benefit of Evans is that they are a national company with decent transport/infrastructure. Meaning they can locate something in a different shop and have it localised in a day or two. Great if they carry something you actually want.
I recently used them to buy my girlfriend's bike on the cyclescheme. Mainly I did this because they can get bikes to our local shop super easy so my girlfriend could try a bike and possibly take it back easily and swap the size or brand etc.
I do not treat them as my LBS to buy bits and bobs because, as mentioned, CS is pretty pants.
For me they have a use but it not for CS and a friendly chat about bikes you get at an independent/LBS.
On the FWE front, whilst picking up the GFs bike I suggested getting some Lezyne self adhesive patches as I've seen them available at Evans online and I think they are excellent. Suprise, suprise they did not stock them but 'We have these (FWE) ones. Just as good'.
This is probably very smart business but one of many reasons I would never just pop in.