I have a favorite game store. One I will go to whenever I need something. One I'm comfortable at. To the point where I forget other stores exist.
Until I stumble on another store while I'm out doing other things. That happened recently when I was waiting for a friend's wedding in another state. Looking up things to do in the city we were in brought up a comic and game store, so we went.
While there wasn't much in the store I hadn't seen before, I did pick up a few blind packs of dice because what gamer doesn't need even more dice? It did get me thinking about the habit most gamers fall into of shunning other stores and why it's not necessarily a good thing.
I get having loyalty to your FLGS and I appreciate my loyal customers from when I ran one myself, but I feel like it does a disservice to the community as a whole. Stopping by another store means you get the opportunity to see something you wouldn't experience in your home location. Or maybe it gives you a greater appreciation for how clean and well cared for your store is. It also gives you a chance to meet other people from the community at events you wouldn't otherwise go to.
This was something I would do when I ran my store. I'd pop into other stores and try to go to events (not always possible, but I would try). Other store managers and owners came into my store. We'd sit and talk at retailer events. It always brought a fresh take on how I could change my store and do new things to bring in more people. I also got to see product I didn't carry and decide if I thought it'd be a good fit for my store.
I understand being comfortable in where you shop and going to a new store can be scary, but sometimes it's worth it and you can find a gem you never thought about looking for.