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Business Blunders
103 posts filed under Business Blunders.
- Is SkyMall Still Around in 2026? Yes, Online OnlySkyMall is still around in 2026 as an online store. C&A Marketing bought the bankrupt in-flight catalog at auction in 2015 for $1.9 million.
- Why Montgomery Ward Failed and Who Owns It NowMontgomery Ward closed all 250 stores in 2001 after 128 years. Colony Brands has owned the name since 2008 and sells it online at wards.com.
- Who Owns Packard Bell Now? Acer Revived the BrandPackard Bell is owned by Acer, which relaunched the dead 1990s PC brand in September 2026 with a 499 euro laptop sold everywhere but the US.
- Is Tower Records Still Around? Online and in JapanTower Records is still around as an online store and a chain in Japan, but all 89 US stores closed after the 2006 bankruptcy auction.
- Who Owns eToys.com Now? Toys R Us Bought the NameToys R Us has owned eToys.com since February 2009, paying a reported $2.15 million. The original eToys died in 2001, two years after a $76 IPO pop.
- Broadcast.com: The $5.7 Billion Site Yahoo Shut DownYahoo bought Broadcast.com for $5.7 billion in 1999 and closed the service by 2002. The company had booked $22.4 million of revenue in 1998.
- Is Angelfire Still Online? Lycos Closed It in 2026Angelfire is not still online. Lycos took the free web host down on April 24, 2026, after a January outage and 30 days of notice.
- Why Discovery Zone Failed and What's Left in 2026Discovery Zone failed after two bankruptcies and closed for good by the end of 2001. One unaffiliated center still uses the name in 2026.
- How Many Rainforest Cafes Are Left? 16 in the USRainforest Cafe is down to 16 US restaurants in 11 states in 2026, from a peak of 59. Landry's owns it, and the Paris location closes in November.
- Who Owns Kinko's Now? FedEx Retired the BrandKinko's is gone in the US: FedEx bought it for $2.4 billion, then took an $891 million charge in 2008 to stop using the name.
- Why G4 TV Failed Twice: The 1,000-Viewer CollapseG4 TV failed twice. Comcast unplugged the gaming channel on December 31, 2014, revived it in November 2021, and shut it down again in October 2022.
- Is Photobucket Still Around? Why Your Photos VanishedPhotobucket is still around in 2026, but only as paid storage: free accounts ended in June 2023 and plans now start at $5 a month for 1TB.
- Who Owns Game Informer Now? Gunzilla Games DoesGame Informer is owned by Gunzilla Games, which bought it in March 2025 after GameStop killed it in 2024. Issue 381 marks 35 years in print.
- How Many KB Toys Stores Are Left? Zero Since 2009How many KB Toys stores are left? Zero. All 461 closed by February 9, 2009, and the brand now survives online and at a Comic-Con booth.
- Where Is FAO Schwarz Now? Inside Rockefeller CenterFAO Schwarz is still open, but not on Fifth Avenue. The flagship moved to 30 Rockefeller Plaza in 2018, and Nordstrom shops followed in 2026.
- Is Woolworth Still in Business? Only as Foot LockerWoolworth is still in business, but only as Foot Locker: it renamed itself in 2001, four years after shutting all 400 US five-and-dime stores.
- Who Owns Sharper Image Now? No Stores Since 2008Sharper Image is owned by ThreeSixty Group, which paid $100 million for the name in December 2016. No stores have existed since the 2008 collapse.
- Is the Disney Store Still Open? 21 Left in 2026The Disney Store is still open, but only about 21 locations are left in North America in 2026, down from 747 stores at the 1999 peak.
- How Many Sam Goody Stores Are Left? Exactly OneExactly one Sam Goody store is left in 2026, at a mall in Medford, Oregon. Musicland closed 226 of them in a single month in 2006.
- Does Nokia Still Make Phones? Who Makes Them NowDoes Nokia still make phones? No. Nokia sold its handset business to Microsoft in 2013, and the last Nokia smartphones were pulled in January 2025.
- Who Owns Borders Now? The $13.9 Million Brand SaleBorders closed its last US stores in September 2011. Barnes & Noble owns the name now, bought for $13.9 million with 48 million customer records.
- Is Hollywood Video Still Around? Every Store ClosedHollywood Video is gone. Movie Gallery liquidated the last 1,900-plus US stores in 2010, and its late fees chased 3.3 million customers for years.
- Is Barnes and Noble Still Open? 720+ Stores in 2026Barnes and Noble is still open and growing: more than 720 US stores in 2026, with 60 more planned. Elliott has owned the chain since 2019.
- Who Owns Claire's Now? The $140 Million BuyoutClaire's is owned by Ames Watson, which bought the chain out of bankruptcy in 2025 for about $140 million. Roughly 900 stores are still open.
- How Many Boston Market Locations Are Left in 2026?Boston Market is down to about six listed locations in 2026, and only three answered the phone. It had 1,143 restaurants in 1998. Here is what closed them.
- Is GameStop Still in Business? 1,598 Stores LeftGameStop is still in business in 2026, but it closed 727 US stores in one year and ended January with 1,598 left. Games are now under 12% of sales.
- Is Redbox Still Around? Why Kiosks Are Still ThereRedbox is gone: its parent was liquidated in July 2024 and all 24,000 kiosks went dark. Thousands still stand because removal runs about $500 each.
- Who Owns Yahoo Now? The $5 Billion Apollo TakeoverYahoo is owned by Apollo Global Management, which paid about $5 billion in 2021. Verizon kept 10 percent. Microsoft once offered $44.6 billion.
- Does Yahoo Answers Still Exist? Why It Shut DownYahoo Answers does not still exist. It went read-only on April 20, 2021 and closed on May 4, 2021, 15 years after launch. Here is what survived.
- Who Owns Napster in 2026? Every Owner Since 2001Napster is owned by Napster Corporation, formerly Infinite Reality, which paid $207 million in 2025 and killed the music service on January 1, 2026.
- Is Sega Still Making Games? Life After the DreamcastIs Sega still making games? Yes. Its games arm sold 326.6 billion yen worth last fiscal year, and Sonic 3 grossed 492.2 million dollars.
- Is Kmart Still Open? The 3 Stores Left in 2026Is Kmart still open in 2026? Yes, but only three stores are left: Miami, Guam and St. Thomas. It had 2,114 the day it filed for bankruptcy.
- Is CompUSA Still Around? What Happened to the ChainIs CompUSA still around? No. The chain sold its last 103 stores in December 2007, and the brand was written off for $35.3 million in 2012.
- Who Owns Sears Now, and How Many Stores Are Left?Sears is owned by Eddie Lampert's Transformco and it is still trading. The last count found five full-line stores left, down from about 3,500.
- Who Owns Atari Now? The Brand That Refuses to DieAtari is owned by Atari SA in Paris and run by Wade Rosen. The brand sold for $5 million in 1998 and booked about $65 million last year.
- Is Toys R Us Still in Business? What Survived 2018Toys R Us closed all 735 US stores on June 29, 2018. The brand survived: WHP Global owns it, and 1,664 stores now trade in 35 countries.
- Is Palm Still a Company? From Pilot to a $349 PhoneIs Palm still a company? No. HP bought it for $1.2 billion in 2010, sold webOS to LG, and TCL has owned the dormant Palm brand since 2014.
- Is Blockbuster Still Open? The Last Store in 2026Is Blockbuster still open? Yes, but only one store, in Bend, Oregon. Who owns the brand in 2026, how 9,000 stores became one, and what it sells.
- Does AOL Still Exist? What You Get for $10 a MonthDoes AOL still exist? Yes. Italy's Bending Spoons bought it for about $1.5 billion in January 2026, and dial-up died on September 30, 2025.
- How Compaq Lost the PC Business It Helped InventCompaq went from a pie-shop sketch in 1982 to the world's biggest PC maker, then sold itself to HP for $25 billion. Here is what broke first.
- Why Iridium Failed: The $5 Billion Satellite PhoneIridium put 66 satellites in orbit for about $5 billion, opened for business in 1998, and filed for bankruptcy nine months later. It sold for $25 million.
- The Beanie Babies Bubble: How a $5 Toy Went BustBeanie Babies were a $5 toy people traded like stocks in 1998. How Ty Inc. built the bubble, why it burst in 1999, and what the bears are worth now.
- Why the Sega 32X Failed: The $159.99 Add-On FlopThe Sega 32X launched November 21, 1994 at $159.99, sold about 665,000 units, shipped 40 games, and was cleared out at $19.95 before dying in 1996.
- theGlobe.com Today: The 606% IPO That Left a ShelltheGlobe.com is now an empty shell company with no employees and $15,115 in cash. Its 1998 IPO closed up 606 percent, a record that still stands.
- What Happened to Excite, the Search Engine That Turned Down Google for $750,000In 1999, Excite was worth $35 billion and had the chance to buy Google for $750,000. CEO George Bell said no. The full story is more complicated, and a lot more interesting, than the punchline suggests.
- Why the TurboGrafx-16 Won Japan and Lost AmericaNEC's TurboGrafx-16 ruled Japan as the PC Engine but sold just 750,000 US units by 1991. Konami owns the library now, and a Mini shipped in 2020.
- What Happened to PointCast and the 1990s Push Technology BoomIn 1997, News Corporation offered $450 million for a company that delivered headlines through a screensaver. Two years later it sold for $7 million. The full story of push technology's rise and collapse.
- How the Nintendo NES Saved Video Games After the 1983 CrashIn 1985, American retailers had given up on video games. Then a Japanese toy company shipped a gray plastic box with a robot, called it an entertainment system, and resurrected an entire industry. This is the full story of how the NES pulled gaming back from the dead.
- What Happened to Standalone GPS Devices: TomTom and the Smartphone KillerIn 2008, the world bought 42 million standalone GPS devices. By 2014, the category was effectively dead. The story of how a free Android feature, a Cold War satellite system, and an $11 billion map data war ended an entire consumer electronics market.
- What Happened to Wine.com and the Internet Wine WarsThree companies burned through more than $200M trying to sell wine online between 1995 and 2001. The smallest one ended up owning the Wine.com domain.
- What Happened to Prodigy, the Online Service That Beat AOL to AmericaBefore AOL, before the web, two of the biggest companies in America spent over a billion dollars trying to teach the country how to go online. Prodigy got there first, then lost everything.
- What Happened to the 3DO, the $700 Console That BombedIn 1993, a console hit shelves at $699.99 and promised to be the VHS of gaming. Instead, the 3DO became one of the most spectacular flops in video game history. Here is the full story.
- What Happened to Microsoft Bob, the Friendly Interface That FailedIn 1995, Microsoft tried to replace the desktop with a cartoon house full of talking pets. It sold around 58,000 copies and got pulled from shelves within a year. Here is what really happened.
- What Happened to Kodak, the Company That Invented the Digital Camera Then Chose to Ignore ItKodak controlled 90% of the American film market, employed over 145,000 people, and invented the digital camera in 1975. Then it spent three decades pretending digital photography wasn't coming.
- What Happened to the Segway, the Invention That Was Supposed to Change the WorldInvestors predicted a billion dollars in first-year sales. The Segway sold roughly 140,000 units across its entire twenty-year lifetime.
- What Happened to Tumblr, the Platform Yahoo Bought for a Billion and Sold for PenniesYahoo paid $1.1 billion for Tumblr in 2013. Six years later, Verizon sold it to Automattic for $3 million. Here's the full story of how a culture platform got killed by the companies that owned it.
- What Happened to Flickr, the Photo Site Yahoo Left to DieFlickr once hosted nearly 2 billion photos and defined photo-sharing for a generation. Then Yahoo acquired it, removed the features that made it special, and left it to rot while Instagram ate its lunch.
- Is There a New Tony Hawk Game? The Series in 2026No new Tony Hawk game is announced for 2026. The last one was Pro Skater 3 + 4 in July 2025, and its studio cut up to 90 jobs in April 2026.
- What Happened to the Sega Game Gear, the Handheld That Deserved BetterThe Sega Game Gear had superior hardware, full color graphics, and backlit brilliance. So why did it lose to the Game Boy? Discover the tragic tale of ambitious hardware sabotaged by battery life and Sega's own chaos.
- What Happened to SimCity and How EA Destroyed ItFrom Will Wright’s revolutionary city builder to EA’s catastrophic always-online launch, the rise and fall of SimCity is a cautionary tale about corporate mismanagement.
- What Happened to Commodore, the Company That Won and LostCommodore sold more home computers than anyone in history. Then its own executives drove it into the ground. Here is how it all fell apart.
- What Happened to Neopets, the Virtual World That Raised a GenerationFrom 150 million accounts and $160 million acquisitions to corporate neglect and a management buyout. The full story of how Neopets rose, fell, and tried to come back.
- Why the Atari Jaguar Failed and What It Costs NowThe Atari Jaguar sold about 125,000 units before Atari quit hardware in 1996. Sealed consoles have since gone for $1,199.99.
- Is WordPerfect Still Around in 2026? Corel Sells ItWordPerfect is still sold in 2026 by Corel, owned by Vector Capital since May 2026, but the last new version shipped in 2021.
- Is Lycos Still Around in 2026? Who Owns It NowLycos is still online in 2026 as a small portal owned through Brightcom Group. Terra Networks paid $12.5 billion for it; Ybrant paid $36 million.
- Is HD DVD Still Around? Why It Lost to Blu-rayHD DVD is dead: Toshiba quit on February 19, 2008, after Warner Bros. went Blu-ray exclusive. The retreat cost the company about $1.1 billion.
- Is Lotus 1-2-3 Still Around? IBM Killed It in 2013Lotus 1-2-3 is discontinued: IBM stopped selling it on June 11, 2013 and ended support in 2014. It once held 70% of the spreadsheet market.
- Do They Still Make Netbooks? Why the Eee PC DiedNo. Netbooks peaked at 38.8 million units in 2010 and died in 2012. Chromebooks under $200 and cheap Windows laptops replaced them.
- Who Owns Gateway Computers Now? Acer Still DoesGateway computers still exist as a brand: Acer bought the company in 2007 for $710 million and now sells Gateway laptops only through Walmart.
- Why Boo.com Failed and Who Owns the Domain NowBoo.com burned $135 million in 18 months and collapsed on 18 May 2000. Hostelworld holds the domain now, bought out of a $375,000 fire sale.
- Motorola Razr V3: 130 Million Sold, No Signal LeftThe Motorola Razr V3 sold 130 million units, and since August 3, 2026 it cannot make a call in the US. What one costs second-hand now.
- Is the Nokia N-Gage Still Around? Who Owns It NowThe Nokia N-Gage is gone: Nokia stopped the hardware in November 2005 and closed the N-Gage service in 2010, after 3 million of a 6 million target.
- Is Excite@Home Still Around? AT&T Took the NetworkExcite@Home is gone. It filed for Chapter 11 in September 2001 and AT&T took the network for $307 million, about one percent of its $35 billion peak.
- Why the Sega Saturn Failed and What It Costs NowThe Sega Saturn failed after a $399 surprise launch in May 1995 and sold 9.26 million units. A working console costs $180 to $280 in 2026.
- Why the Apple Newton Failed and What It Costs NowApple sold about 50,000 Newton MessagePads in three months, then killed the line in 1998. Why it failed, and what a MessagePad sells for now.
- Is the Original Xbox Still Supported in 2026?The original Xbox lost support in 2006 and Microsoft closed its Xbox Live service in 2010. Fans rebuilt the servers, and 39 games still run.
- Is AOL Time Warner Still a Company? What Is LeftAOL Time Warner stopped existing in 2009. AOL is being sold to Bending Spoons for $1.5 billion; Warner Bros. Discovery holds the rest.
- Is Kozmo.com Still Around? The Brand's Fate in 2026Kozmo.com died in April 2001 after a $280 million loss. Los Angeles grocer Yummy Foods owns the name now, and the site has been dark since 2023.
- Is Circuit City Still in Business? Zero Stores LeftCircuit City closed its last 567 stores on March 8, 2009. The name survives online under an owner who bought it in 2016. Zero stores left.
- Did Amazon Almost Go Bankrupt in the Dot-Com Crash?Amazon never went bankrupt, but it came close: a Lehman analyst gave it four quarters of cash. A $672 million bond bought the time it needed.
- Is Webvan Still Around? The $830 Million CollapseWebvan shut down in July 2001 after burning about $830 million. Amazon owns the name now, and its founder is back with a robot warehouse.
- Why the Nintendo GameCube Lost the Console WarThe Nintendo GameCube sold 21.74 million units to the PlayStation 2's 155 million and died in 2007. Its games returned on Switch 2 in June 2025.
- Is eBay Still Around in 2026? 135 Million BuyerseBay is still around in 2026: a public Nasdaq company with 135 million buyers and $79.6 billion sold in 2025. It started with a broken laser pointer.
- Is RadioShack Still in Business? 2026 Store CountIs RadioShack still in business? Yes, as a brand. The US chain died in the 2017 bankruptcy, and an El Salvador group has owned the name since 2023.
- Is Friendster Still Around? It Came Back in 2026Friendster deleted every profile in 2011 and shut down in 2015, but the name relaunched in April 2026 as an app with no ads and no algorithm.
- Is Fry's Electronics Still Around? All 31 Stores ClosedFry's Electronics is gone. All 31 remaining stores closed on February 24, 2021, with no bankruptcy filing and no farewell sale. Here is what is left.
- Does Ask Jeeves Still Exist? Ask.com Closed in 2026Ask Jeeves became Ask.com, lost the butler in 2006, quit building its own search engine in 2010, and closed for good on May 1, 2026.
- Is BlackBerry Still in Business? Yes, but No PhonesBlackBerry still exists, but it has not made a phone since 2016. It earned $549.1 million in fiscal 2026 from car software and secure messaging.
- Is Digg Still Around in 2026? Yes, as an AI SiteDigg still exists in 2026, but as an AI news aggregator run by Kevin Rose, not a Reddit rival. The relaunched app shut down on March 14, 2026.
- Is Encarta Still Available? Why Microsoft Killed ItMicrosoft Encarta is gone: disc sales ended in June 2009 and MSN Encarta closed October 31, 2009. What replaced it, and how to run it now.
- How MySpace Lost to Facebook and Sold for $35MMySpace lost to Facebook after News Corporation tied the site to a $900 million Google ad deal. It sold for $35 million in June 2011.
- Is Google Glass Still Around? Discontinued in 2023Google Glass is discontinued: sales ended March 15, 2023 and support that September. What the $1,500 headset was, and what Google sells now.
- Is the Microsoft Zune Still Around? Why It FailedMicrosoft Zune hardware died in 2011 and its services in 2015. Here is why it lost to the iPod, and what a used Zune HD costs in 2026.
- Why Pets.com Failed and Where the Sock Puppet WentPets.com sold pet food below cost, IPO'd at $11 in February 2000 and shut its store that November. PetSmart owns the domain; the sock puppet outlived it.
- Why Google+ Failed and When Google Shut It DownGoogle+ shut down on April 2, 2019 and Google Currents followed in 2023. Here is why a $585 million social network sat empty.
- Why Sega Stopped Making Consoles After DreamcastSega stopped making consoles on January 31, 2001, after the Dreamcast sold 9.13 million units. It has not built one since, and still will not.
- Palm Pilot Explained: The PDA That Phones ReplacedThe Palm Pilot sold a million units in 18 months, then lost to the smartphone. Palm shipped its last handhelds in October 2005.
- Who Owns MapQuest Now? System1 and the 2026 SurgeMapQuest is still around in 2026, owned by ad tech firm System1 since 2019. Google Maps only passed it in January 2009, by 700,000 users.
- Was Apple Really 90 Days From Bankruptcy in 1997?Apple lost $1.04 billion in fiscal 1997 and Steve Jobs called it 90 days from insolvent. Microsoft's $150 million check landed on August 6, 1997.
- Why Netscape Navigator Lost to Internet ExplorerNetscape Navigator lost to Internet Explorer because Microsoft gave IE away free and wired it into Windows. Navigator led 51% to 40% in 1997, then fell.
- Did Blockbuster Turn Down Netflix for $50 Million?Blockbuster did turn down Netflix for $50 million in 2000. Netflix booked $45.2 billion in 2025 revenue; EchoStar now owns the Blockbuster name.
- Did Yahoo Turn Down Google for $1 Million in 1998?Yahoo never bought Google and Google never bought Yahoo. The $1 million story is thinly sourced, and the real offer in 2002 was $3 billion.
- Microsoft Tried to Buy Nintendo and Got Laughed AtMicrosoft tried to buy Nintendo in 1999 and spent an hour being laughed at. The letter survives, and the Xbox shipped two years later.