Are Barbershops Still Alive?

Since I've started selling CreativeCultureBeardButter I've spent a lot of time going into barbershops. It seems as if a lot of barber chairs aren't full. There are a few shops that have 5-6 barbers working but the average shop has 1-2 active barbers (not guys hanging out waiting for a straggler to walk in).

Another trend is the salon suite barber.... Salon Suites are a new model where barbers and beauticians share a common building but everyone has their own individual suite/space. It's a really cool concept when you have the ability to work in autonomy and be your own boss without the overhead of trying to own a shop.

I was watching Barbershop the movie and wondered is that model dead? Is it still profitable to have 8 barber chairs and only 3 or 4 are occupied? Is the barbershop still a place in the community where men can drink, talk sports, women, money, politics, etc. I'm kind of getting the feeling that we are losing our "locker room" and heading towards just having a 1 on 1 counseling session. Just think about it... If your barber has a suite or an empty shop and you also have an appointment, it's just you talking with your barber about any and everything but the group of guys that are generally in the shop aren't there to challenge your thinking, offer advice, clown you for being soft, etc.

I honestly don't know the answer but what I will say is, no matter the model, you need to have CreativeCultureBeardButter next to your station if you want to look legit! Please let me know your thoughts.