{
  "id": 2767547,
  "title": "Dozens of retail chains you once loved that don't exist anymore",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/23/dozens-of-retail-chains-you-once-loved-that-dont-exist-anymore",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-08-23T09:49:01.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Business Insider",
    "slug": "business-insider",
    "url": "https://www.businessinsider.com/stores-that-dont-exist-anymore-2018-8"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Retail giants have come and gone in recent years, victims of shifting consumer trends and the rise of e-commerce. Blockbuster, the once-mighty video rental chain, closed its final store in 2013. Bed Bath & Beyond, known for its home goods, shuttered its doors after filing for bankruptcy in 2018. Eddie Bauer, a popular outdoor apparel brand, experienced financial troubles and ceased operations in 2018 as well. Kinney Shoes, established in 1894, had 467 stores at its peak but folded in 1998. The once iconic Warner Bros. Studio Store shuttered all its locations in 2001 after battling competition from Disney. Zany Brainy, an educational toy retailer, filed for bankruptcy and ceased operations in 2003. Ames Department Store, plagued by debt and poor sales, faced bankruptcy twice before closing all its stores in 2002. Imaginarium, an educational toy store that debuted in the 1980s, also succumbed to bankruptcy in 2003. Hecht's Department Store, acquired by Macy's in 2005, either transformed into Macy's stores or closed down. Marshall Fields, purchased by Federated Department Stores in 2005, was rebranded as Macy's. Gadzooks, a teen clothing store active from 1983 to 2005, was purchased by Forever 21 and subsequently closed. Kaufmann's, another Macy's subsidiary, was retired by the company in 2006. Tower Records, unable to adapt to digital music, closed all its US stores in 2006. Media Play, a big box store offering a wide range of products, closed in the same year. Discovery Channel's 103 standalone stores also closed in 2007. KB Toys announced its bankruptcy in 2008 and closed all its locations by early 2009. Sharper Image, a specialty retailer, declared bankruptcy in 2008 but continues to sell merchandise online. Levitz Furniture, plagued by bankruptcy twice, closed its stores in 2008. Linens & Things, once a massive chain with over 500 locations, closed similarly in 2008.\n\nThese retail behemoths, once integral parts of our daily lives, have vanished from the landscape, leaving a void that e-commerce has largely filled.",
  "summary": "Iconic brands like Rite Aid and Eddie Bauer are just a few chains you may never set foot in again, though some brands are seeing a second act online.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}