# Companies you thought would have gone belly-up by now... **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 7, 2012, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/companies-you-thought-would-have-gone-belly-up-by-now/630686 "2012-08-07T02:28:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2012, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/companies-you-thought-would-have-gone-belly-up-by-now/630686/101 "2012-08-08T21:29:41Z")
Whatever company makes those brick-like fruit cakes (the ones that people give as “gifts” at Christmastime…to people they don’t like). Nobody I know eats these things-I suspect that many get dumped…or “regifted”. ---
**Author:** ![drastic\_quench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e36b37/32.png) [@drastic\_quench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drastic_quench)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2012, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/companies-you-thought-would-have-gone-belly-up-by-now/630686/102 "2012-08-08T21:33:19Z")
Brick and mortar porn stores. There’s a universe of free content streaming online. That should kill 90% of the biz, and without checking, I bet you could get sex toys off [Amazon.com](http://Amazon.com) billed and shipped discreetly. Also, Playboy et al. Who pays for hardcopies of porn in the smartphone and tablet age? ---
**Author:** ![scruffycat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scruffycat/32/200_2.png) [@scruffycat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scruffycat)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2012, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/companies-you-thought-would-have-gone-belly-up-by-now/630686/103 "2012-08-08T21:34:27Z")
Blackberry are incredibly popular in the UK, so it’s surprising to see they aren’t doing so well in the US anymore. Looking into it though it seems to be mostly down to young people purchasing them so they can text each other free on the Blackberry Messenger (?) service. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2012, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/companies-you-thought-would-have-gone-belly-up-by-now/630686/104 "2012-08-08T21:40:09Z")
Re: AOL - I use AOL for email and for chat because I have a lot of old friends on there and because i’m comfortable with it. I haven’t paid them a dime since 2006 since i’m on broadband. To add a few more to my list that i’ve thought of: Gamestop - You can pretty much always buy console games cheaper online or at a big-box store, and at the rate that consoles are adopting digital distribution you soon won’t even need to do that. (Even the DS has downloadable full games now.) Chuck E. Cheese - Video arcades in general died out about 10 years ago, so I just can’t understand how a place with ancient video games, '80s animatronics, and cardboard pizza still appeals to little kids. [WaMu Theater](http://wamutheater.com/)- This is a concert venue located underneath CenturyLink Field in Seattle. To this day, it is named after and uses the logo of Washington Mutual, a bank which failed and was taken over by the FDIC, was eventually liquidated and sold off to Chase, and which hasn’t even existed since 2009. I keep waiting for them to change the name to Chase Theater or CenturyLink Theater - I guess the naming rights contract must not have had an early termination clause. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2012, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/companies-you-thought-would-have-gone-belly-up-by-now/630686/105 "2012-08-08T21:43:04Z")
> [@suranyi](#): > > Mattress stores? Doesn’t everybody need a bed? We’ve bought mattresses (what else?) from mattress stores quite a few times over the last few decades. Well, I think the theory goes that a mattress store works well for the mob when: 1. They are at war and need to go to the mattresses, and 2. Somebody needs to sleep with the fishes. What’s better for your back when taking your mortal rest than a Sealy? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2012, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/companies-you-thought-would-have-gone-belly-up-by-now/630686/106 "2012-08-08T21:58:32Z")
> [@MandaJo](#): > > I agree. They are the K-mart of fast food: they wait and see what McDonald’s does, and then wait two years before introducing a crappier version of the same thing. This has been their business plan for like 40 years. That, and they also only install a BK right near where a McD’s is located - it must be in their business plan, too. ---
**Author:** ![TimeWinder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@TimeWinder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TimeWinder)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2012, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/companies-you-thought-would-have-gone-belly-up-by-now/630686/107 "2012-08-08T22:00:02Z")
> [@suranyi](#): > > Mattress stores? Doesn’t everybody need a bed? We’ve bought mattresses (what else?) from mattress stores quite a few times over the last few decades. Sure. But there are FOURTEEN mattress stores within a few miles of me, for a product that lasts decades, and can be aquired from much less fly-by-night looking vendors. I’ve never seen a customer in any of them, and a back-of-the-enveloper calculation indicates that even if folks bought 3 mattresses a decade, that’s way too many stores for the population. I don’t subscribe to the “mob front,” theory, but there’s clearly something about this business model that I don’t understand. ---
**Author:** ![Kimmy\_Gibbler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Kimmy\_Gibbler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimmy_Gibbler)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2012, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/companies-you-thought-would-have-gone-belly-up-by-now/630686/108 "2012-08-08T23:28:07Z")
> [@drastic\_quench](#): > > Brick and mortar porn stores. > > There’s a universe of free content streaming online. That should kill 90% of the biz, and without checking, I bet you could get sex toys off [Amazon.com](http://Amazon.com) billed and shipped discreetly. > > Also, Playboy et al. Who pays for hardcopies of porn in the smartphone and tablet age? The internet can’t suck your D through a gloryhole. ---
**Author:** ![Mdcastle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/958977/32.png) [@Mdcastle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mdcastle)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2012, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/companies-you-thought-would-have-gone-belly-up-by-now/630686/109 "2012-08-09T00:04:26Z")
I’d have to disagree about Burger King. McDonalds rules for breakfast but there burgers make me want to puke and they dump MSG all over their chicken. Whereas I love Whoppers, usually the special edition ones like the BBQ ones are to die for. As far as Ritz camera, maybe people bring in their digital pictures to have them printed. Better quality and last longer than printing at home. ---
**Author:** ![Rubixcube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Rubixcube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rubixcube)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2012, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/companies-you-thought-would-have-gone-belly-up-by-now/630686/110 "2012-08-09T00:25:39Z")
Ch…Ch…Ch…Chia ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2012, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/companies-you-thought-would-have-gone-belly-up-by-now/630686/111 "2012-08-09T01:21:19Z")
> [@Kimmy\_Gibbler](#): > > The internet can’t suck your D through a gloryhole. But I can imagine the day, in the not so distant future. . . ---
**Author:** ![drastic\_quench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e36b37/32.png) [@drastic\_quench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drastic_quench)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2012, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/companies-you-thought-would-have-gone-belly-up-by-now/630686/112 "2012-08-09T01:21:55Z")
> [@Kimmy\_Gibbler](#): > > The internet can’t suck your D through a gloryhole. Cummy Gobbler? ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2012, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/companies-you-thought-would-have-gone-belly-up-by-now/630686/113 "2012-08-09T01:38:03Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > Chuck E. Cheese - Video arcades in general died out about 10 years ago, so I just can’t understand how a place with ancient video games, '80s animatronics, and cardboard pizza still appeals to little kids. The key is two little words in your sentence: “little kids”. As the father of a little boy, I know that to a little kid, nothing is necessarily old or outdated. Everything is new to him. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2012, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/companies-you-thought-would-have-gone-belly-up-by-now/630686/114 "2012-08-09T01:39:59Z")
> [@MandaJo](#): > > I agree. They are the K-mart of fast food: they wait and see what McDonald’s does, and then wait two years before introducing a crappier version of the same thing. This has been their business plan for like 40 years. They did it with value meals, play lands, happy meals, salads, breakfast, etc. They have been absolutely determined to court the exact same demographics as McDs and never tried to distinguish themselves in any way. I like their burgers better than McDonalds, but everywhere else–from customer service to menu selections to basic cleanliness–they have always had a knack for not being basically the same but not quite as good, for being a little behind the curve. Wendy’s was clever and gutsy enough to occasionally try new things and innovate a little. BK not so much. I almost agree, except that it’s always better than McDonald’s. McDonald’s is the one fast food restaurant where I understand why people think fast food is mediocre food. The only things they had going for them were the fries and nuggets, and they’ve ruined (well, mediocred) both of them. And I really can’t think of anything I expected to fail that hasn’t been mentioned already. ---
**Author:** ![Baal\_Houtham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baal_houtham/32/13604_2.png) [@Baal\_Houtham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baal_Houtham)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2012, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/companies-you-thought-would-have-gone-belly-up-by-now/630686/115 "2012-08-09T01:52:34Z")
Build-A-Bear Workshop. Wikipedia says there are 400 of them worldwide. When they started in St. Louis in the late 90s it seemed like a dumb idea: build your own teddy bear? That’s like Kramer’s “make your own pizza”, except that most people don’t want more than a couple of stuffed bears. Apparently the business model was more robust than I supposed. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2012, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/companies-you-thought-would-have-gone-belly-up-by-now/630686/116 "2012-08-09T02:24:27Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > Kmart, Sears, Target, JC Penney, department stores in general: I haven’t shopped at one once since Wal-Mart came around, and i’m not sure what, if anything, they have that Wal-Mart doesn’t have cheaper. You’re very obviously a price-sensitive consumer. Some of us are more interested in better stuff than just what’s cheapest, and that’s what the other stores are marketing toward. For example, Wal-Mart may have one cheap-ass conventional cheese grater made in China for $5, and Target may have an Oxo microplane style grater for $9. Some of us prefer the microplane style grater and are willing to pay $4 more for it. Expand that thinking across multiple products and services and that explains why other stores stay in business even though they compete with Wal-Mart. It’s a good example of the one lesson every businessperson ought to know- there are only 2 business strategies when it’s all boiled down- lowest cost or differentiation. If you’re lowest cost, you HAVE to be the lowest cost, or you’re not competitive. If you differentiate, you don’t have to be the lowest cost. Wal-Mart is the lowest cost retailer, so unless someone else can out-cheap them, the smart play is to differentiate themselves by higher end products, more variety, etc… ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2012, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/companies-you-thought-would-have-gone-belly-up-by-now/630686/117 "2012-08-09T02:27:23Z")
> [@drastic\_quench](#): > > Also, Playboy et al. Who pays for hardcopies of porn in the smartphone and tablet age? Your dad. 🆒 > [@TimeWinder](#): > > I don’t subscribe to the “mob front,” theory… Interestingly, the second-to-last mattress store I went into was staffed solely by a gorgeous young Russian woman, wearing a tight little dress and high heels that would have been completely impractical for moving a mattress. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2012, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/companies-you-thought-would-have-gone-belly-up-by-now/630686/118 "2012-08-09T02:32:59Z")
> [@benbo1](#): > > Independent bookstores - does anyone but Grandma shop there anymore? Our local Recycle Bookstore, which mostly does used books, is doing quite well, thank you. So yes, it’s a niche market, but it’s a damn good one. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2012, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/companies-you-thought-would-have-gone-belly-up-by-now/630686/119 "2012-08-09T02:34:08Z")
> [@Vicullum](#): > > Kirby Vacuums: So they only sell vacuums. At over $1,000 bucks a pop. And I only ever here negative reviews about their product. Yet somehow this is a viable business model, even during a recession? > > . Great vacuum. Terrible sales model, incredibly high price. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2012, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/companies-you-thought-would-have-gone-belly-up-by-now/630686/120 "2012-08-09T02:35:46Z")
> [@snowthx](#): > > What about Hickory Farms? I know they show up temporarily around the holidays, and they have an online presence, but their “gifts” are ghastly, fatty sausages, waxy cheese, and stale crackers. I guess there is still a market for sending this crap to people you don’t like. God yes, that stuff is craptastic. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/companies-you-thought-would-have-gone-belly-up-by-now/630686.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/companies-you-thought-would-have-gone-belly-up-by-now/630686.md?page=7)