I count 9 Specialized Dealers within 3 miles of where I live; another 17 within perhaps a 20 minute drive, if I ever decided to put a bike in a car.
When I bought my road eBike, I went to three shops. Ultimately the one I bought it from was the one that had the size and color and trim I wanted, but they were clearly very competent, had a buzzing service department with many similar bikes coming in and out, and lots of good reviews. They're not perfect, and I get a little envious of the much shorter wait times for service/maintenance at the bigger (still local) chains, but I don't yet know enough about bikes or eBikes to feel comfortable fooling around with something in which failure at high speed would result in injury or death. I think this is true of
most people riding bikes. I just would not trust something I purchased online or from a retailer who had little or no service capability.
My commuter eBike was purchased direct, but they have a local service facility / showroom. I have had several problems with it, and without the local facility I'd have been greatly inconvenienced. I would have just given up biking, frankly.