Part 2/11:
More stores are closing their doors permanently as retail chains face declining foot traffic and rising operational costs. For many businesses, especially those operating physical spaces, survival hinges on their bottom line. Alan Beatts, owner of Borderlands Books and Café in San Francisco, highlights how the core issue is not just sales but the viability of the entire model. "Any retailer that operates brick-and-mortar stores has to start saying, if all I do is distribute products, I am going to go out of business," he explains.