If it was Swiss Black Powder, while still high in price you need to understand, when small shops order it, they too pay hazmat which all has to be added to the price. Swiss of instance is around $22.00 a pound. Hazmat to ship it is $25.00 for up to fifty pounds. When my friend ran a small sporting goods, he also had black powder, but he could never afford to purchase 50 pounds of it, as it was not a big seller. Plus the storing restrictions were crazy. So he ordered small amounts and sold it with his hazmat costs, plus profit. Which made the price of the powder seem high.
I order mine from Graf's and Sons. I order 25 pounds when I order, so a $14.00 a pound can of Schuetzen with then a $1.00 hazmat add, is only $15.00 a pound to my door.
If there is a dealer of powder in your area, that is where you can really save money. As you can buy direct and go pick it up.