Bankrupt

In the early 2000's, General Motors had released what would be one of the most controversial vehicles of the decade. The Hummer H1, H2 and H3 were all either loved or hated by Americans and with decent sales and an enthusiastic set of supporters, the massive SUV became an icon of the era. But, within just a few short years, the early success of the Hummer quickly declines until GM killed off the brand entirely before the decade was over. Join me as I find out why.

For nearly 50 years, Bed Bath and Beyond was at the top of their game, known across the industry as a "category killer", able to stand up to the largest companies in America like Walmart and Target just by their niche in the market. Millions of deal-hungry shoppers, wedding registries and college young adults shopped here and helped skyrocket the company into massive success with over 1,500 stores. But just as quickly as their rise, the retailer then fell on hard times. In under a decade, the company went from record sales, to bankruptcy and a total collapse of the brand. Join me today as I explore why this happened and document the final moments for a beloved retailer.

Starting from the novel idea of adding animatronics and arcade machines to a pizza restaurant, Chuck E Cheese's grew into an enormous, world wide chain. Though, not without issues as the company has suffered two bankruptcies, fierce competition from copycat chain, Showbiz Pizza, and an overall decline in popularity. Join me today as I explore the fascinating and turbulent history of the restaurant chain and find out if this twice bankrupt company has any chance for a future.

In the mid 1990's a travel company based in Spain was seeking an ambitious goal. They wanted to be the leader in Spanish speaking cruises, sailing ships all around the Mediterranean, Mexico, Caribbean and South America. They ultimately succeeded and got the interest and investment from Royal Caribbean, the mega American cruise company. But despite all of their success, the company declared bankruptcy in 2020 and was completely liquidated. Join me today as I find out why!

Started in the early 1970's, the Ruby Tuesday restaurant chain quickly grew to become an international goliath. They had restaurants spanning several countries, employed tens of thousands of people and at its peak, grew to over 900 locations. But ever since their peak in 2007, the chain has seen a quick downfall until their bankruptcy in 2021. So join me today as I look into the rise and fall of this iconic restaurant chain known for their salad bar, Ruby Tuesday.

Since the early 1960's, Six Flags has grown to become the world's largest theme park company, at one point, operating over 37 parks around the world. Their parks were beloved from their original property, Six Flags Over Texas, to others like Magic Mountain and Great Adventure. But after a series of terrible decisions, the company failed to make even the slightest profit and ultimately declared bankruptcy. In doing so, they left parks demolished or abandoned in their wake. Join me today as I find out why.

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. Join me to find out why.