The effects of getting closer to a monopoly.Yup, I find a lot of things are more expensive on Amazon. The only thing that often helps is the savings on shipping. However, I always check other sites because a lot of them give free shipping if you spend more than a certain amount.
Also, my mother lives in BFE, Alabama. Amazon is no longer offering free shipping unless she spends $150 or more. I expect to see similar things happening elsewhere. Maybe not in large cities, but more rural areas for sure.