Pretty much the only thing I buy at Borders/Waldenbooks is romance, and the rest I buy at Goerings. I asked the staff at Goerings why they didn't carry romances and the answer was a logical one--the books are already being discounted and sold at the big box bookstores, so the independents have to establish themselves in a different niche--small presses, literary fiction, foreign language work. It wasn't about being snobbish as much as it was economies of scale and floorspace.

Also, independents usually get books after the big box/chain stores get their shipments, so if it's something with a high turnover and short lifespan it's not economical to try and compete.