I have never been in a pet store that kept their animals in any conditions that even resembled something proper. They keep their $400 mixed-breed puppies crammed into tiny kennels, their $60+ kittens in small cages, etc.... everything they keep is overcrowded.
I understand that they can't keep them under optimum terms, but people see 3 red-eared sliders in a ten gallon tank, then think that's adequate housing for a turtle.
Pet stores encourage impulse buys, which is NEVER a good idea with a pet. I can also safely say that pet stores had pretty much nothing to do with my decision to get into snakes, and I bet the same can be said for most of the folks here.