Dozens of retail chains you once loved that don't exist anymore

A Blockbuster movie video rental store 2013. Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images Retail is a tough business.One day, your favorite brand can be riding high and enjoying strong sales from loyal customers, while the next it's fighting for survival and fending off creditors.Emerging trends, changing shopping patterns, and new e-commerce players are increasingly reshuffling the game.Here's a look back at some of the retail brands whose stores once greeted thousands of people each day.Some are now consigned to retail's history books, while others still exist online. Either way, they're a tiny fraction of what they once were.What stores do you miss most? Tell us in the comments below: Blockbuster Blockbuster grew from a single store in Dallas to a chain of 9,000 locations over two decades. Getty Blockbuster started in 1985 and acquired the Sound Warehouse and Music Plus music chains to create Blockbuster Music in 1992. Then Netflix happened. There remains one single Blockbuster video rental store in Bend, Oregon. Thom McAn Thom McAn had over 1,400 stores at its peak in the 1960s. AP Photo/Justin Ide Thom McAn was a chain of shoe stores that peaked in the 1960's and closed up shop by 1996. The brand's shoes continued to be available at Sears and Kmart. Kinney Shoes Kinney Shoes was known for moderately priced footwear. Glen Martin/The Denver Post via Getty Images First opened in 1894, Kinney Shoes had 467 stores at its peak, all of which shuttered in 1998. Warner Bros. Studio Store Warner Bros. Studio Store sold merch from Loony Toons and DC Comics. Justin Sullivan / Getty Images Warner Bros. Studio Store competed with the Disney store until the company closed all of its locations in 2001. Zany Brainy Zany Brainy carried products for children aged 4 to 13. Dan Loh/AP Zany Brainy filed for bankruptcy in 2001 and closed all locations in 2003. The educational toy retailer's founder, David Schlessinger, co-founded the discount company Five Below. Ames Department Store Ames Department Store once had more than 700 locations. Wikimedia Debt and poor sales forced Ames Department Store into bankruptcy twice, and in 2002, the remaining Ames stores closed. Imaginarium Imaginarium-branded toys are still sold through Toys R Us. AP Photo/Jeff Zelevansky Imaginarium was an educational toy store in the 1980s. Stores started closing in the 1990s, and by 2003, parent company Toys R Us closed all remaining locations. Hecht's Department Store Hecht's Department Store was founded in 1857. AP Photo/Gerald Herbert Hecht's was purchased by Macy's in 2005, and all locations were either turned into Macy's stores or closed. Marshall Fields Marshall Fields was founded in 1852 in Chicago. AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh Federated Department Stores bought Marshall Fields in 2005 and converted the stores to the company's more recognizable flagship brand, Macy's. Gadzooks Gadzooks stores typically featured a VW beetle sawed in half. Getty Gadzooks was a teen clothing store that was around from 1983 to 2005. It filed for bankruptcy in its final year and was purchased by Forever 21, which then closed all of the stores. Kaufmann's Kaufmann's was a department store that had 44 locations at its peak. AP Photo/Keith Srakocic In 2006, Macy's retired the Kaufmann's name, and the brand disappeared. Tower Records Tower Records was one of the largest record stores in the 1990s. Getty Tower Records couldn't keep up with the rise of digital music, and all stores in the US were closed in 2006. Media Play Media Play was owned by the same company as shopping mall record store Sam Goody. Flickr/AdamL212 Media Play was a big box store that sold books, movies, software, toys, and video games. It closed in 2006. Discovery Channel Discovery Channel stores sold educational books, videos, and gifts. AP Photo/Terry Gilliam Discovery Channel's 103 stand-alone stores closed in 2007. KB Toys KB Toys once operated over 1,300 stores across all 50 states. AP/Damian Dovarganes KB Toys announced it would be going out of business in 2008, and by early 2009 all locations were closed. Sharper Image Sharper Image still sells merchandise through its website, catalog, and third-party retail partners. Eric Risberg/AP Sharper Image declared bankruptcy in 2008, but the company still sells merchandise through its website, catalog, and third-party retail partners. Levitz Furniture Levitz Furniture was founded in 1910. Wikicommons/Laurie Avocado Levitz Furniture declared bankruptcy twice — first in 1997, and then in 2005. It closed all of its stores in 2008. Linens 'n Things Linens 'n Things still does business online. Getty Linens 'n Things had more than 500 stores in 2006, but by the end of 2008, they were all closed. The company still does business online. Mervyn's Mervyn's was a California-based department store founded in 1949. AP Photo/Ben Margot Mervyn's once had almost 200 locations in the western US. In 2008, the company declared bankruptcy and closed all of its stores. Limited Too Limited Too, The Limited's children's store, launched in 1987. Associated Press Limited Too's success began dwindling in the early 2000s, and all stores were eventually rebranded as Justice by 2008. Tweeter Tweeter was an electronics chain that started in 1972. Flickr/Dalvenjah FoxFire Tweeter filed for bankruptcy in 2008, and all of its stores were closed by the end of the year. Circuit City Circuit City had 567 stores in 2008. Getty Circuit City filed for bankruptcy in 2008 and shuttered all stores the following Spring. Steve & Barry's Steve & Barry's sold inexpensive sportswear for teens. AP Photo/Mark Lennihan Steve & Barry's filed for bankruptcy in 2008 and closed all of its stores in 2009. Filene's and Filene's Basement Filene's Basement was an off-price store that started in Filene's and eventually grew to 20 locations. Getty Filene's Basement's parent company went bankrupt in 2009, and by 2011 all of its stores were closed. B. Dalton Books B. Dalton started in 1966. AP Photo/Ricardo Santos B. Dalton was acquired by Barnes & Noble in 1987, which officially closed the bookstore in January 2010, except for a single location in Oviedo, Florida. Waldenbooks Waldenbooks was founded in 1933. Tim Boyle/Getty Images Waldenbooks merged with Borders in 1994, and all Waldenbooks stores closed when Borders Group liquidated in 2011. Borders Books & Music Borders Books was founded in 1971 by University of Michigan graduates Tom and Louis Borders. Getty Borders Books & Music stores closed shortly after the company liquidated in 2011. CompUSA CompUSA specialized in computer hardware and software. AP Photo/Donna McWilliam CompUSA started in 1984, but by 2007, Best Buy and other superstores had taken over, and the last CompUSA closed in 2012. Sam Goody Sam Goody first opened back in the 1940s. Dawn Villella / AP Sam Goody music stores suffered from the rise of digital media, and most Sam Goody stores were either ultimately shuttered or converted into other brands like FYE by 2012. A&P A&P was the largest grocery store chain in the US from 1915 to 1975. Chris Hondros / Getty Images A&P filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2010 and again in 2015, closing its stores that year. Sports Authority Sports Authority once had more than 200 locations in the US. Getty Competition drove Sports Authority into bankruptcy in 2016, when it closed all its stores and sold its website to Dick's Sporting Goods. Sport Chalet Sport Chalet once had more than 50 locations. AP Photo/Reed Saxon Sport Chalet, which first opened in 1959, abruptly closed all of its stores in 2016. Wet Seal Wet Seal once operated over 500 locations. Kirsten Acuna/Business Insider Wet Seal, a teen clothing store, filed for bankruptcy in 2015 and closed for good in 2017. Virgin Megastores Virgin Megastores were hit hard by the rapidly declining CD market. Getty Virgin Megastores stopped operating in the US in 2017, but the brand continues online and in select international markets. The Limited The Limited had 250 in 2017. Facebook/The Limited The Limited abruptly shut down all of its stores in 2017, and the brand is now sold exclusively through Belk. Teavana Teavana is owned by Starbucks. Starbucks Teavana's 379 locations were closed by its parent company, Starbucks, in 2018. Bon-Ton Stores All 256 of the Bon-Ton group's stores were liquidated in 2018. AP Images / Rusty Kennedy The Bon-Ton stores included its namesake brand, as well as Bergner's, Boston Store, Elder-Beerman, and Younkers. Henri Bendel Henri Bendel first opened in 1895. After 123 years of business, luxury retailer Henri Bendel closed all of its stores in 2019. Dress Barn Dress Barn had 650 stores in 2019. Getty Dress Barn shut down in 2019 after 50 years in business. Papyrus Papyrus greeting cards are still available at retailers like Target. Geri Lavrov / Contributor / Getty Images At its peak in 2009, Papyrus had 500 stores across the US and Canada, but the company ultimately filed for bankruptcy and closed its 254 stores in 2020. Lord & Taylor Lord & Taylor was once America's oldest department store. Jessica Rinaldi/The Boston Globe via Getty Images Lord & Taylor filed for bankruptcy in 2020, leading to the closure of its 38 stores. An attempt at reviving the brand as a "digital collective" was unsuccessful. Olympia Sports Olympia Sports shut down its remaining stores in 2022. AP After a slow decline and a tumultuous stint with private equity owners, Maine-based Olympia Sports shut down its remaining stores in 2022. Bed Bath & Beyond Bed Bath & Beyond had a fleet of more than 1,500 locations at its peak. Ben Tobin Bed Bath & Beyond filed for bankruptcy and closed its 896 remaining stores in 2023, though the brand was sold and relaunched online. Tuesday Morning Xinhua News Agency / Contributor/Getty Images The Dallas-based home goods company shut down all of its stores in 2023 after it had only planned to close half of its stores amid bankruptcy proceedings. Christmas Tree Shops A customer leaves a Christmas Tree Shop in Pembroke, Massachusetts. John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images The Massachusetts-based seasonal specialty retailer filed for bankruptcy in 2023, winding down the remaining 72 locations across 20 states. Rue21 Clothing is displayed in the window of a rue21 store at Solano Town Center on May 03, 2024 in Fairfield, California. Getty/Justin Sullivan Teen apparel retailer rue21 — known for its presence in shopping malls — filed for bankruptcy for the third time in May 2024. The company's 540 locations also shut down. Payless Shoesource A worker puts the finishing touches on a sign at a Payless Shoesource store at a mall in Missouri. Associated Press Payless ShoeSource was once the largest and most successful family-owned business in the country. The brand still lives online with fulfillment from Amazon.com. Conn's HomePlus Shoppers in front of a Conn's Home Plus store in Texas. James Nielsen/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images Conn's HomePlus, a home goods retailer that operated more than 170 stores in 15 states, filed for bankruptcy protection in July 2024 before announcing that it was shuttering all of its stores. Joann Fabrics and Crafts Joann announced it was shuttering all of its stores in a February update on the company after two rounds of Chapter 11 bankruptcy. MediaNews Group/Reading Eagle via Getty Images / Contributor/Getty Images In February 2025, Joann said that it had reached a deal to sell its assets and wind down operations, including closing around 300 remaining stores. The fabric and crafts chain experienced two rounds of Chapter 11 bankruptcy in less than a year. Moosejaw People walk past a Moosejaw store. Stephen Zenner/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images Dick's Sporting Goods shut down outdoors retailer Moosejaw shortly after purchasing the brand from Walmart. The company was originally founded in Michigan in 1992, and was later bought by Walmart in 2017 for $51 million. Forever 21 A Forever 21 fashion retail store at a mall in Pennsylvania. Reuters Forever 21 was once a popular choice for budget-minded shoppers and helped inspire the fast-fashion trend followed by brands like Temu and Shein, which the company later cited as threats to its existence. Bargain Hunt A Bargain Hunt discount retail store. : Jim Lane/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images Discount retailer Bargain Hunt, which also made money selling returned Amazon items, closed in 2025 after filing for bankruptcy. Rite Aid A Rite-Aid pharmacy and convenience store in Orinda, California. Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images Rite Aid closed in 2025 after a stretch in bankruptcy. At its peak, the company had more than 2,000 stores, which it shrunk down to fewer than 100 at the end. Francesca's A Francesca's clothing store in Deer Park, New York. Drew Singh/Newsday RM via Getty Images Houston, Texas-based Francesca's shut down operations in 2026, including the closure of about 400 remaining stores, after several years of financial challenges that worsened during the Covid-19 pandemic. Eddie Bauer An Eddie Bauer store in Round Rock, Texas. Brandon Bell/Getty Images Outdoor lifestyle retailer Eddie Bauer closed approximately 200 North American stores in 2026, shifting its business entirely to manufacturing, wholesale, and online operations. Read next Joey Hadden is a travel reporter and photojournalist at Business Insider based in NYC. She covers transportation modes, alternative lifestyles, and luxury travel. Many of Joey's stories are visual features that give readers a front-row seat to her personal experiences at home and around the world.Joey graduated from St. Edward's University in May 2019 with a BA in Photocommunications. Since joining BI in 2019, Joey has traveled by train in seven different countries, from day trips to overnight rides as long as 30 hours. She's ridden on many different train lines, including Amtrak, Via Rail, and the iconic Orient Express of the 21st century, among others. During her travels, she's slept in countless accommodations — five-star hotels, unique tiny homes, and private train cabins, to name a few.When traveling in North America, Joey takes readers inside the continent's wealthiest enclaves where billionaires hide away, from Jackson Hole, Wyoming, to Medina, Washington. She spends her free time singing and playing drums for the indie-rock band Blanket Approval. You can follow Joey on Instagram or send her an email at jhadden@businessinsider.com.Popular ArticlesI spent $1,000 to have a room to myself on a 30-hour Amtrak ride. It was the best experience I've had on an overnight train in the US.I booked basic economy flights with Delta and United. They felt like 2 completely different classes.I went on an adults-only cruise for the first time, and 8 things surprised meI spent 2 nights in a 2-story, 100-square-foot tiny home in Germany that was smaller than any I've seen in the USStep inside the richest city in Arizona, where wealthy Californians are flocking for private mountainside estates Dominick Reuter is a senior retail reporter for Business Insider, primarily covering Walmart, Target, and Costco. His stories tend to focus on issues and trends that affect employees and customers.Prior to joining BI in 2019, Dominick worked for more than a decade as an independent photojournalist covering a wide range of stories for global wire services and newspapers, including Reuters, the Wall Street Journal, and Agence France-Presse.Dominick studied photojournalism at Boston University and later earned a Masters in business and economics journalism from Columbia University.If you're an employee or customer with a story to share, please contact me via email or text/call/Signal at 646-768-4750. Retail