As a pro shop owner, I look at a few things:
1 - ease of obtaining
2 - price
3 - where made
4 - marketability
A couple if years ago, I had a employee that was throwing Seismic equipment and thought we should get some. Getting it was a nightmare as my regular distributors did not carry it. Once I got them in, they were quite pricy and I could not get rid if them. I also prefer to stock and sell balls made in USA. Marketability is another big issue. People very rarely come in and ask about smaller companies. They want to know what ball was bowler X using on TV, or I received an email on company y's new ball, when will you have it in stock?
Not to put Buddies down, but as a pro shop owner, I will not order my stock from an online retailer. I will continue to support my distributors as they go above and beyond to help me out as a small business. Can't imaging the hoops that would have to be gone through if one cracked on getting it replaced.
Not trying to create argument, just giving you a small business perspective.