If one was fortunate to live in a larger metropolitan area, there would be other independent electronic retailers to choose from.
But for people living in small towns, RS was the only option.
Sure, one could also order by mail from the retailers appearing on the back pages of hobby magazines.
But if you took the time for the check to arrive (via snail mail), the time for the payment to clear (out of town check) and the time for the components to actually arrive (again, snail mail), it would be 3 to 6 weeks wait time...heck, today one can get parts from China faster.