Remember These Retailers?

With 90’s style back in full swing, let’s take a look back on some major retailers that are no longer with us. Wal-Mart, Target and Amazon, combined with the rise of e-commerce, contributed to the demise of dozens of brick-and-mortar stores, including:

RadioShack

Consumers’ rising interest in mobile devices inspired RadioShack to switch its market strategy from selling small electronic components to larger finished products. RadioShack struggled to stay relevant, as customers moved towards more innovative retailers (like Apple), and e-commerce stores offering lower prices (Amazon). After nearly a century in business, RadioShack recently filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

Borders

Borders strength initially was its vast size–they offered thousands more book titles than traditional bookstores. Just as the industry took a digital turn, Borders transitioned into CD and DVD sales. While Borders focused on refurbishing and expanding stores, their competitor, Barnes & Noble, survived this transition by ramping up their online presence and developing the Nook, their own e-reader. Finally, Borders outsourced their online sales to Amazon–with so many consumers comparison-shopping for the best prices, Borders couldn’t compete.

Delia’s

Once the brand of choice of the coolest 90s tweens, this brick-and-mortar retailer struggled as shoppers began to flock to “fast fashion” stores like Forever 21 and H&M. These stores offer low-cost clothing collections that mimic trends seen at Fashion Week, appealing to today’s young shoppers. Known for their quirky print catalogs, Delia’s struggled to make the switch to e-commerce in the late 90s. Similar retailers, such as Abercrombie and Fitch and Wet Seal suffered the same fate.

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