Well I imagine this is more related to paying to open and staff an often quiet store, at least that was my assumption. I just bought a couple of their WEPs online, I'm sure like a lot of retail the bricks-and -mortar is for 'showrooming'. and has a lot of costs associated with it, especially now - the energy price hike surely must be part of it.
The WEP has always been the number one on my wish list. I owned a mint 1972 issue Alpha which was just too short (a 46 Reg), I got a Buzz Rickson in 2019 and the nylon was entirely wrong, felt like an MA-1. Just a few weeks ago I spotted the RM WEP, bought one, love it, bought another (and was really pushing it fiscally speaking
) but I've wanted a really good WEP for yeeeeears. Their sizing is a bit bonkers (I bought a 44 and 42 initially and both fit but differently - I'm usually a 46 (sometmes need a 48) and the RM 44 fits well with room but the 42 fits nicely at the shoulders, chest but is just a little bit trim around the middle.