Bankrupt

Since the 1970's, Borders Bookstores have been a place of comfort and peace for millions of shoppers. Their unique strategy of offering a cozy place to shop, with tens of thousands of highly trained employees was a winning one that earned the company billions in sales. But, it all came crashing down in 2011 and now, the brand is non existent. Join me today as we find out why.

In 2013, Elon Musk unveiled his concept for a "5th mode of transportation" called Hyperloop. Spawning from this idea was a lot of public excitement as well as companies racing to build one. Virgin Hyperloop One was one such company, seemingly making the most progress of any company with technological breakthroughs including the first human test. But after a decade to work and over $400 million invested, in late 2023, the company declared the equivalent of bankruptcy and shut down. Join me today to find out why.

After evolving from a aeronautical company in the mid 1920's, to a major airline along the United State East Coast by the 40's, Eastern Airlines was an iconic brand name that only grew larger by the year. With a massive fleet of state of the art aircraft and service spanning multiple countries, it seemed there was no stopping this massive airline. However it all came crashing down by the late 90's and saw the brand name disappear entirely by the early 90's following a devastating bankruptcy. Join me today as we take a look at the rise and fall of this once revered airline.

Since the late 1960's, Red Lobster has grown to become an American seafood institution with over 650 restaurants and tens of thousands of employees. It's also one of the most successful casual restaurant chains to ever exist. So it was pretty surprising to many when they filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy in early 2024. However while many in the media reported on the famous Endless Shrimp as the culprit, the truth as to how this company fell so quickly is a bit more complicated. Join me today as we find out how this iconic chain ultimately declared bankruptcy.

From its origins as a convenience store kiosk created by the McDonald's corporation, Redbox grew to become a massive DVD rental brand with tens of thousands of locations across America. However in 2024, the company came crashing down and will soon be lost to time forever. Join me today to find out what happened to this beloved brand.

Well known across southern States in America, 99 Cents Only Stores was a growing company, focused on customer service and offering products at a gimmicky, yet very enticing price point... 99 cents. But after corporate takeovers and rising costs, this chain of around 300 locations would begin to struggle and ultimately declare bankruptcy.

Started in the mid 1950's as a unique, self service shoe store, Payless Shoeless. The company grew over the years, ultimately exploding in popularity through the 70's, 80's and 90's. Payless would become a household brand, the go-to place for discount shoes. But despite growing into a truly colossal brand with over 5,000 stores across the world, it all came crashing down by 2017. Today, there are no Payless stores left in America.