CRANBERRY TWP., Pa. (EYT) — The Bradley’s Book Outlet store in the Cranberry Mall is planning to close by the end of the year.

According to the Pittsburgh Business Times, Bradley’s Book Outlet, which operates eight retail stores in western Pennsylvania, plans to end its 27-year run as a bricks-and-mortar retailer this year.

Based in Pittsburgh, along with the store in the Cranberry Mall, Bradley’s also operates stores at Pittsburgh Mills, the Grove City Premium Outlets, the Nittany Mall near State College and malls in Uniontown, Indiana, Altoona, and DuBois.

Company owner Mike Paper reported the stores at Pittsburgh Mills and Grove City will begin closing immediately, while the other six stores will begin selling off inventory on Friday and run the discounts through the end of the year before permanently closing.

According to Paper, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic was a major factor in the decision.

“During the pandemic, the internet has taken off and the stores have obviously floundered,” said Paper. “We’re putting all of our energy and resources in the other two going forward.”

He stressed that he does, however, expect the business to continue through its other channels, which include a wholesale arm of six million titles as well as online book sales through platforms like Amazon and eBay.

Paper noted the brick-and-mortar stores hadn’t actually turned a profit in several years, and remained in operation primarily to clear out inventory, since books that were less likely to sell online often still sold in the retail locations. He reported the retails stores only accounted for about 15 percent of the company’s total revenue.

He also said the main reason for keeping the stores open previously was for the staff.

“The main reason we kept the stores open was the employees,” he said. “we let it go as long as we possibly could.”

However, recent staff attrition in the stores, which Paper said accounted for a large part of a decline of 50 to 60 percent, had also become an issue.

Paper also stated that a few of the stores did remain profitable, and while the company is planning their closures at the moment, he would be open to the possibility of selling them to others to keep the stores operating.