Instability
I have tried to avoid discussing anything political here. This is supposed to be about running a shop. But completely separating business and politics is like separating the cart and the horse.
We cannot deny the close to chaotic state of politics that exists right now. And there is no way this cannot affect business.
When things are uncertain, people become much more conservative in their willingness to spend money. If people have their money in stocks and the market starts to fluctuate like it has been, they put off buying decisions. It becomes much more difficult to close sales.
People are still shopping, but more and more of them are just looking. Maybe they want to remodel their kitchen or buy that new dining set but not right now. Maybe wait until things settle down a bit. We can only hope they do.