Dead Companies
While the actual company is dead, brand recognition and customer loyalty can still manage to eek out a few bucks from the suckers. Most (or all) of the websites on this list are place holders for conglomerates using the old company's name. For example, Retail ECommerce Ventures (REV) is a company that purchases the name from dead brands and turns them into an online-only company.
Several of these companies say that they are "undergoing re-structuring," but most of them said that prior to 2019, meaning the pandemic killed any chance of that actually happening.
The following is a list of companies that are dead, on the brink of death, or are being used by somebody else to sell products. This list does not include sites where previous employees have bought the domain names and used them for reunion sites, joke sites, or history sites. Additionally, this list does not include facebook or other social media pages related to the dead company.
- Kmart
- RadioShack
- Toys "R" Us
- Blockbuster Video
- Circuit City
- Sears
- Rax Roast Beef - There are only 8 franchised locations left and you can even apply for a job with them.
- Stein Mart
- Vine
- KB Toys
- Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey - They are coming back in 2022 for a tour{maybe). The only catch is that there will no longer be animals in their acts.
- Bon-Ton - The site is pretty barren, but there are reports that the company is coming back.
- Modell's Sporting Goods
- Payless ShoeSource
- JCPenny
- Bebe
- American Apparel
- http://www.syquest.com/ Syquest] - In case you need a driver for your 20 year old hard drive.
- Compaq Computers - The website causes Firefox to display a security issue but bypassing that, you find a site that sells HP computers.
- DeLorean Motors - You can buy clothing, find a service technician, or buy parts. No mention of Back to the Future.