I don't know what the situation is in the USA,as far as physical "storefront" suppliers is,but in Australia,the following companies
do have real shops,as well as online ones:
Jaycar,Altronics,RS Components,(& a few others).
They have hard copy catalogues,so you can see what is available,plus you can walk into the shop & browse.
This is particularly good for the "grab bags" of components,as you can see if you are getting useful values or crap!
Sometimes just walking past a display will remind you of something you forgot to put on your list,whereas if you forget on a
"mail order" you have to reorder & wait again.
Of course,the downside of Physical shops is that they cost money to run,so you may pay a bit more.
Buying bits for an employer usually ends up being a combination of both methods,depending on the priority.
If "the thing has to be fixed today",& you can get the component locally,the Boss doesn't usually care if it costs a bit more,but stock stuff is ordered on the phone ,Fax,or email.
Buying my own stuff in person has always seemed easier to me, but if you haven't that option,the suppliers mentioned all seem to have fair reputations.
VK6ZGO