Won't that create an opportunity for an independent local business? It won't be as convenient and nice as an Apple store. However, it will reduce the sting in exchange for some profit.
Speaking as someone that's a fan of independent, local businesses and struggled with running one for 10 years: no business best described by the words "independent" and "local" can compete on all aspects of customer service with a megacorp. The resources just ain't there for it.
It will have higher prices or poorer service, if one is opened at all.
An mom and pop shop in a small town can have better service than a megacorp by personally knowing its customer base and adapting its policies to individuals. Megacorp customer service, by comparison, always involves some level of bureaucracy.
Since we’re talking about Apple stores, here’s an anecdote about competing on service: My iPhone was rebooting at random, in the middle of use, with some regularity. I was in an area with no Apple store, so I swung by an authorised Apple repairer/reseller. I explained my problem, and the guy around the counter, while very apologetic, explained there was no way I was having my phone swapped out. He didn’t have stock of my particular model, but even if he did, he said, if he swapped it out and Apple determined it to be non-defective, they’d make him eat the cost of the device, which he couldn’t afford.
A week later when I was back home I took it to the nearby Apple store. The lady there looked at it, shrugged, walked out back and came out with a new phone. This isn’t because she cared more, it’s because she cared less.
Apple authorized repair shops are the worst. They have so many rules imposed by Apple that they can't provide good service.
An iPhone battery swap at an authorised reseller can take a week (!).
Non-authorised repair shops can often offer better service -- often they can replace a battery in 20 minutes. That's faster than at the Apple store. (but of course, if something goes wrong, there's probably no warranty)
Won't that create an opportunity for an independent local business? It won't be as convenient and nice as an Apple store. However, it will reduce the sting in exchange for some profit.