I totally understand what you mean, and I agree with you with the way things work right now... but why does our retainer system, our only market system (not including player character bazaar), have to be our only storage system as well? And even if you do keep both your retainers in one city, you still have to make that the city you always return to for crafting.

Personally, I can't always craft everything in the same city, due to guild access. The way I would do it, if I had a retainer in Gridania, would could keep leathercraft and carpentry materials on that one. For the retainer I keep in Ul'dah, alchemy and goldsmithing materials there.