Before the internet everyone had to purchase their printer ink at the store. The stores had the monopoly over the price of the cartridges and you couldn’t argue with the price because everyone sold it at about the same price. This is often how it is today in stores. The internet however changed that. You can purchase ink all over the world now, as internet sites are pretty much decentralized. With so much competition the prices are driven down substantially. You also have to think that although they have to warehouse the ink their is no high priced retail store to add to the price.