been an interesting topic to follow, I guess it all comes down to time management.
If a retailer is selling a couple of hundred bats a year then they can probably afford to spend the time and effort ensuring they hand select each one coming into their store. However if a retailer is selling triple figures of bats each season across the spectrum of ranges then they can probably ill afford to hand pick each and every one and will rely upon the brands supplying them to ensure the bat grades/models reflect the price tag associated with them. After all its the brands reputation being showcased when someone buys/uses the bat in the middle so its in their best interests to ensure it performs admirably.
At the end of the day bats are made from a natural material so sometimes a lower grade model aesthetically may perform better than a high grade/priced model. It comes down to if someone is willing to spend the time looking for the diamond in the dirt each time to place upon their shelves.
time management is of course a major factor, but I don't think our model would need to change if we are selling thousands of bats per year. If we did that, I could afford to hire a new full time employee to look after the shop and order fulfilling, so I have even more time to handpick myself!