There is no single formula for how local companies can succeed amidst economic uncertainty, but many Los Gatos business owners point to a common theme that keeps their doors open: the niche, whether of business format, or product category.
Online shopping continues to reshape consumer habits as Americans compare prices digitally and order merchandise without leaving the house. And so, California retail businesses are facing some of the highest operating costs in the US without any statewide commercial rent control.
Though Los Gatos sits as an affluent pinnacle of Silicon Valley, business owners are not immune to the malaise that can cause the economic pressures of a dwindling downtown. While some storefronts struggle to survive rising rents and shifting market conditions, others have worked around these obstacles by pushing unique products and promoting made-to-order services…