“There’s no foot traffic to speak of.”
Woods, owner of Gunzil and Bowser Children’s Bookstore in rural Missouri, has run the shop for nearly four years with steady growth until this year. In 2025, sales have unexpectedly dropped 15–25% every month, and even a school book fair is bringing in only about half of last year’s revenue. Despite keeping prices as low as possible and offering a welcoming environment, foot traffic has sharply declined as local families pull back on all spending.