

“I don’t want to get bumped into the next tax bracket,
There are other reasons why someone will not want a raise. There are cases where getting a small raise will bump you out of benefits completely. Extra $20 a month may cost you $200 in benefits. In the USA anyways. I agree with your statement.
Most likely they are buying most of their products from Sysco Corporation. Small businesses are still not immune to large corporations. The could of course also be simply buying from a local Costco Business Center. The issue is that large corp owns and controls everything. It’s already too late but do what you can. Doing something is better than nothing.