Bracker S News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

But economically you're in mexico? >> over 90% of our customers are mexican nationals. >> with his store located just steps away from the border crossing, bracker's has thrived by offering american products to mexican nationals. >> you have found a clientele in mexico that have money to spend and want to cross the border and buy stuff they can't get there. >> we're a destination store. >> over the past several years, federal regulation and enforcement have all drastically reduced much of that traffic. >> in 2007 we had 7.5 million people crossing the border. 99% of that was happening downtown....

Your business is decreasing. >> everybody used to come in from mexico, load up their cars and trucks, take it across the border. and now that's no more. it's gone. it's stopped. >> why? what changed? >> the free trade agreement. there's no need to come across. >> villa is the second generation of villa's market. >> i started with my dad in 1968. >> like bracker's. his market also faced a huge drop in customers. but unlike bruce, he adapted by flipping the business model. >> we've got a different customer base now. >> he now offers hard to get mexican products to the hispanic-american customers...

When your potential customer base drops by more than half, it's really scary and hard for these small businesses. >> and what is that drop more than half due to? >> if you're a small business, suddenly you don't have customers. it was interesting at bracker's, it's a department store but also at the checkout they had brochures for the century pass, get their customers coming from mexico to sign up for this, a fast pass to get across the border. and that was one example of someone who's having a hard time and struggling and trying to figure things out. we also really optimistically spoke to som...

Physically you're in the u.s. and 90% are mexico. bracker's has tlooivd by finding american products you kind find on the other side. >> you have found a clientele of people in mexico who have money to spend, want to cross the border and buy stuff they can't get there. >> when they say we're a destination store, we're a destination store. >> but over the past several years. federal regulation has reduced much of that traffic. >> we had 77% crossing over the border. last year the number was under 3 million. >> while bracker's supporters have continued, overall the sales have slumped. >> it make...