Hi Paul,
When done correctly, Local SEO shouldn't hinder your national ranking efforts, but the fictitious suite approach is not a good idea, for a couple of reasons:
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Google is quite able to identify that both businesses belong to you and they could decide what you are doing is spamming them (trying to make a single business appear like multiple businesses).
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Post-Possum, you'd be likely to have the suite B result filtered out of the local packs, anyway.
So, really not worth it.
Your scenario is complex, and one in which it would be advisable to have a professional consultant who can evaluate your total situation. Knowing just the bare bones of your business model, it sounds to me like what you may need to focus on is brand building. Think about a massive company like McDonald's. When I look them up from my location in the US, I get their corporate site, from which I can buy things (like a gift card - so, analogous to your e-commerce scenario). I also get a local pack featuring their fast food locations near me (the local side of their business).
Now, imagine if instead of just being McDonald's, they had decided to be McDonald's Breakfast, McDonald's Big Mac and McDonald's Headquarters. Maybe this would help them to rank for different things, but consolidation is what has enabled them to be known for everything they offer under a single brand.
This may not be the right approach for every business under the sun, and after consulting with a professional, you could decide that you wish to legally brand, operate and market multiple businesses, but I always find it useful to look at "the big guys" and see how they became household words. No - you likely don't have the resources of McDonald's at your disposal, but you're hoping your own brand will become as recognized and profitable as possible. If you divvy your dreams up into different sections, can you eventually build the same recognition that you might have with a single push?
Tough questions, I know, but definitely worth full thought!
