The Archive

1971–2023 · Retail

The 20% off coupon was the only thing keeping people in the store. Then they stopped sending coupons.

1892–2018 · Retail

Built the Sears Tower, sold the Sears Tower, and then couldn't afford the rent.

2003–2018 · Healthcare

A $9 billion company whose product was a PowerPoint deck.

1948–2018 · Retail

Private equity loaded a toy store with $5 billion in debt and acted surprised when it collapsed.

1921–2017 · Retail

You've got questions. We've got a website that sells crypto now.

1888–2012 · Technology

Invented the digital camera in 1975. Buried it because it would cannibalize film sales.

1971–2011 · Retail

Outsourced its online business to Amazon, then wondered why nobody came to the store.

2003–2011 · Technology

The first social network everyone joined. The first social network everyone left.

1985–2010 · Entertainment

Had the chance to buy Netflix for $50 million and laughed them out of the room.

1926–2010 · Automotive

The GTO. The Firebird. The Trans Am. Killed by the company that made them.

1982–2010 · Technology

The network is the computer. Until Oracle bought the computer.

1949–2009 · Retail

Fired its best salespeople to save money, then had nobody left who could sell anything.

1908–2009 · revived 2010 · Automotive

Too big to fail, too proud to change, too important to let die.

1847–2008 · Finance

Survived the Civil War, two World Wars, and the Great Depression. Didn't survive mortgage-backed securities.

1889–2008 · Finance

The largest bank failure in American history. $307 billion in assets, gone in 10 days.

1960–2006 · Retail

No building was tall enough to see Napster coming.

1975–2004 · Restaurants

Killed by lettuce.

1908–2003 · Food

The original sandwich cookie. Oreo was the knockoff. Nobody remembers that.

1932–2003 · revived 2005 · Toys

Almost killed by theme parks, clothing lines, and everything that wasn't a brick.

1994–2003 · Technology

Won the browser. Lost the war. Microsoft killed it with a free product and a bundling strategy.

1913–2002 · Accounting

Killed not by its own fraud, but by someone else's. The collateral damage of Enron.

1982–2002 · Technology

Built the PC industry, then got absorbed by the company it once outsold.

1985–2001 · Energy

The company that made 'cooking the books' a household phrase.

1872–2001 · Retail

Invented the mail-order catalog. Couldn't invent a reason to keep existing.

1937–2001 · Technology

The instant camera died. The brand got slapped on flat-screen TVs.

1886–1999 · Manufacturing

Won the War of the Currents. Lost the war of corporate identity.

1976–1997 · revived 2001 · Technology

Ninety days from bankruptcy. Then it became the most valuable company in human history.

1879–1997 · Retail

Invented the five-and-dime. Couldn't survive the dollar store.

1939–1996 · revived 2009 · Entertainment

Spider-Man, the X-Men, and the Avengers filed for bankruptcy. Then they conquered the world.

1954–1994 · Technology

Built the best-selling personal computer in history. Couldn't figure out what to do next.

1926–1991 · Aviation

A labor dispute that killed an airline and proved that management and unions can both be right and both lose.

1927–1991 · Aviation

The airline that made the world feel small, then couldn't survive in the world it created.

1972–1984 · Technology

Created the video game industry. Then buried it in a New Mexico landfill.

1975–1982 · Automotive

The car, the cocaine, the movie. Only one of those worked out.

1903–1981 · revived 1983 · Automotive

AMF nearly killed it. Thirteen employees bought it back for $80 million and saved an American icon.