Originally Posted by After Shock Media

There are things called loss leaders. They are used all of the time, sometimes in each weeks flyer.

Then even if what you said is true up to your last line. No that would not mean you are being ripped off. A 60% markup is not unheard of with large volume merchants. It is a perk of being a large volume buyer.
Smaller merchants are who get fucked. They do not get to buy it at 4 and sell it at 10. They get to buy it at 6 or 7 and sell it at 10. So if they want to compete they have to do it on other ways beyond price. Otherwise you will see the Wal Mart effect.
Lastly why does it seem in many of your posts that profit is a four letter word? They do have to pay overhead on much larger stores, have more turnover, more risk, more theft, more wages, etc. Even seems you would be against the small store making a fair profit, even though they are handicapped from the start.