The Limited closed its retail stores and its online presence earlier this year, but don’t worry: A well-known brand never stays dead for long. Sycamore Partners, a private equity firm that owns other familiar, once-troubled retail brands like Belk, Coldwater Creek, Hot Topic, Jones New York, Talbots, and Torrid, purchased the brand’s intellectual property and online presence. [More]
zombie retail
Aeropostale Is Back, Re-Opens More Than 500 Stores
By 1.12.17
Last month, signs in Aeropostale stores blared, “EVERYTHING MUST GO!” The stores sold off their inventory, then closed up. Then something surprising happened: more than two-thirds of those stores opened back up under new ownership. [More]
Zombie Circuit City Pushes Back Relaunch Again
By 11.21.16
For those in our audience who don’t remember, Circuit City was once a large and thriving chain of electronics stores. It filed for bankruptcy and liquidated in 2009, then returned as an online-only brand just a few months later. When the new owner liquidated in turn, the new owners made a shocking announcement: they planned to revive the brand as a retail chain of brick and mortar stores. Now the opening of those stores has been pushed back again. [More]
Re-Zombified Circuit City Opens Storefront On Amazon
By 6.23.16 — Updated: 11.21.16
Back in 2009, electronics shoppers turning to Amazon was one of the factors blamed for the demise of the retailer Circuit City. Now Circuit City, under its second post-bankruptcy owner, is beginning a retail comeback by opening a retail storefront on Amazon. They’re starting out by going where the customers already are. [More]
Circuit City Is Returning From The Dead: Yes, Again
By 1.27.16
Back in 2009, the medium-box consumer electronics chain Circuit City closed. Systemax, the owner of TigerDirect, acquired the brand’s website and customer list, and kept it going until 2012. Late last year, Systemax decided to shut down its technology business, and that included selling the twice-defunct Circuit City brand. Now yet another company has acquired the brand and wants to make a go of it as physical retail stores. [More]
Filene’s Basement Rises From Retail Graveyard As Zombie Brand
By 9.17.15
When a company declares bankruptcy and goes out of business, sometimes its brands don’t settle into a dignified death. Sometimes they’re resurrected days or decades later, roaming the earth as zombie retailers. The latest brand to be raised from the dead is off-price retailer Filene’s basement, which closed in 2011. The brand’s owners have been waiting for the right time to reopen, and closeout retailers are super-hot right now. [More]
Circuit City Rises From Dead, Traps Customer In Laptopless Purgatory
By 2.9.11
Systemax, the same company that now owns TigerDirect and the CompUSA brand name, devoured the remains of Circuit City and relaunched it. Unfortunately, this zombie retailer seems to have the collective customer service skills of…well…zombies. Kelly ordered a laptop, which is waiting around to be shipped. No one seems capable of throwing the computer on a truck, or telling her why the computer has not yet been placed on a truck. [More]
By 5.22.09
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Circuit City is dead. Long live Circuit City! Circuitcity.com is already about to relaunch. They’ll let everyone know via Twitter when they open. No word whether they will actually be distinguishable from TigerDirect.
The Sort-Of Comeback Of CompUSA
By 5.19.09
We previously reported that CompUSA refuses to die, and has reappeared. What I never expected to see was an article in BusinessWeek touting the reborn CompUSA’s success.
Linens ‘N Things Returns From The Dead In Online Form
By 5.13.09 — Updated: 11.21.16
Linens ‘N Things is back. It’s an Internet-only entity for now, and sells higher-end items than the original incarnation. We’re talking $1600 linens and marble cheese-serving things here.
What The Hell? Why Are There CompUSA Stores?
By 4.10.09
Wired is reporting that there are about 30 CompUSA stores — run by the folks behind TigerDirect. CompUSA cannot be killed! It will rise again!
