[depoll]

While it is a risk, it can be a calculated one. Most household goods require the "platform" of a supermarket or other merchant to actually reach customers. Is this so different? As a consumer, there are lots of benefits to being able to find and discover goods in one place, and as a seller, access to those potential customers can make or break your business, but might not be something you can actually establish effectively on your own without those distribution channels. The same is true of infrastructure - one always has to weigh the risks involved against the costs of trying to do things yourself.

[busterarm]

This is certainly true on the low-end, but rarely true on the high-end. Especially when we're talking about kitchen products. The most expensive, sought after fridges, stoves, espresso machines, etc aren't found in retailers.