Company Death Watch 2009
 

With the economy sliding further into the shitter and the recent announcements of Circuit City and Ritz Camera to name just a few, many companies are hanging on by a thread. In an industry once thought to be recession proof, many adult companies, regardless of what people say, are hurting.

Many more retail establishments will start to close their doors over the coming months. Some say that Blockbuster retail store fronts are going to be next. Seeing that Netflix has shown such a ridiculous upturn as people stay in more to avoid spending more money, I could possibly see that happening. Every time I drive by the one by my house, it's dead inside. I myself buy all my movies on Apple TV, to the tune of a hundred bucks a month or so. IPTV delivery systems are surely affecting them. Vudu, Apple TV etc. From what I read, they would close all store fronts and operate their online service like netflox exclusively.

What other companies do you feel are not going to weather the brunt of the economic storm that we're experiencing lately?

I'm gonna go with

Rite Aid
Blockbuster potentially
Chrysler (although not a storefront, they make cars people dont buy anymore)
Sirius satellite radio
Talbots
Cost Plus

Off the top of my head, those are the ones that I can see having some serious issues at the moment.

Anyone want to tackle this?

Who else? Retail, Corporate, Anything.

List em!

Playboy...

From Yahoo Finance:


Blockbuster. (BBI; about 60,000 employees; stock down 57%). The video-rental chain has burned cash while trying to figure out how to maximize fees without alienating customers. Its operating income has started to improve just as consumers are cutting back, even on movies. Video stores in general are under pressure as they compete with cable and Internet operators offering the same titles. A key test of Blockbuster's viability will come when two credit lines expire in August. One possible outcome, according to Valueline, is that investors take the company private and then go public again when market conditions are better.

Clothing companies are dying hard and fast.

SexSearch.com

Doubtful. :2 cents:

FYI, I don't care much about who thinks what adult companies are gonna die.

I want to know what people think about real life. The adult business is a circus and unpredictable. Many of the adult companies that will die have sealed their own fates years ago.

I want to know which store fronts are going away out there and which U.S. companies are going bye bye.

Cost Plus will go, they sell shit marked up 300%. The only time I shop is when they put he FIJI water on sale.

I was walking through one of the largest malls in Phoenix last night and saw every store had zero customers. The problem with these stores is that they sell things marked up 300 - 500% .

Look at Victoria Secrets, they buy panties whole sale for 30 cents from China and sell it for 15 bucks.

gyms. ppl will actually cancel the memberships they've not used in a year

sadly, the mom and pop shops are gonna get hit the hardest. i've seen several independant little shops selling anything from clothing to furniture hit the deck in San Clemente. back home in northern Cal. last Thanksgiving i noticed empty buildings where many of my friends parents used to have things like a general store, a small steak house and a gun shop. just too many to name. honestly, no one is safe

I'm not sure Bed, Bath and Beyond will survive.

some newspapers will fold up <-pun

like the ny times.

They are not store front properties, but I wonder how the economy will affect professional sports. Ticket prices have gone through the roof in recent years, I can't see the average joe dropping a couple of hundred dollars to take the family to a basketball or football game.

Fast Company actually likes Blockbuster because bbi has caught on to the video gaming market and is seeing higher same store sales.

Rumor with Westfield Shopping Centers is that they are losing 10-15 of the retail lessees before fall 09. I heard Hot Topic is one of them and potentially Sears, which is a huge blow. One of the major dept stores will have to go, the market can't support them all anymore.

Robinsons May, Nordstroms, Macy's, JC Penney, Sears, and many more in the same malls. Zaks Fifth Ave. It's a matter of time. Heard Sears was on borrowed time as it is.

Time will tell.

Yep, two of them closed in the last month. Forget which ones, but I heard it On The Money on CNN.

hopefully, the Gap.

FYI, I went to Best Buy last week to get a new TV. I got a 42" Sony Bravia 1080p television for 899.00. These consumer electronics places are giving shit away. You can find some excellent prices on TVs now. FYI, Best Buy was packed with customers shopping. They really know how to bring people in the door.

Ticket & concession item sales aren't the only area where pro sports teams make their money. In fact, I'd venture to say it's a smaller slice of the pie than you would think.

Sports franchises are surely feeling the pinch. They talked about some of the issues over the playoffs and during some of the Lakers games broadcasts here in L.A.

i think the Seattle P.I. bit it recently

These companies were already listed in several news articles as most likely to fail in '09

Here is one: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/15-Com...-14279875.html

Yah I think that may be where I got a few of them.

most of the companies in the original post will do fine.

As long as season tickets remain write-offable as a "business expense," status will remain quo. If $100+ everyday-game seats (not playoffs or finals) suddenly have to be paid for with real money, demand will plummet.

Same as the condos across the street from Staples Center in L.A. Who the hell is gonna live there? Nobody. The only demand is corporate party suites and digs for, uh, ladyfriends of married executives.

If the taxpayers stop footing the bill for these corporate excesses, they will evaporate like the top inch of Lake Mead on a summer day.

--t

really? you mean you stole idea in hopes of people thinking you are smarter than you are?

no danger in anyone thinking i'm smart.

thanks though.

the National Hockey League has several franchises in serious trouble - Phoenix Coyotes are hanging by a thread and being kept in business by the NHL. There are other teams in the US Sunbelt/Bible Belts that are losing big money and won't survive a long recession.

The NBA has some teams in trouble but the NBA has done a great job of selling itself globally and the worst that will happen in the NBA is a small market team or two will relocate or sell.

NFL is invinceable - no business isn't feeling the effects and the NFL is no different but no NFL team is ever in trouble - just some franchises like Jacksonville that would be better off in a new market.

Baseball has some small market teams that draw flies as it is and in this economy will draw even less but baseball has some big revenue and the the small shitty teams like Pittsburgh and Kansas City have tiny parolls and can survive.

the thing with pro sports franchises is that they are the ultimate toy/hobby for wealthy men - men who have been brilliant in building their own empires buy sports franchises and because it's an ego thing for them they run their sports franchises horribly. there is always another one of these guys who wants in the club so if this recession hurts sports franchises the current owners will not have much trouble finding a buyer. Sports franchises provide a ton of hours of programming for media companies - even when nobody is buying tickets to the games they still have a lot of value.

more like the gyms wont be able to charge the monthly fee on the maxed out cards and the people wont have money to buy new memberships nor will they care

us post office will start closing many locations and stop delivery on at least 2 days

direct tv

CitiBank (even with bailout #????)
BankofAmerica

Sucks about Ritz Cameras, they carry a lot of shit you just can't get at your local Best Buy...

So a friend of mine that wanted to get into the industry calls me...

"Yo, dude, did you see that shit about the porn industry asking for a 5 billion dollar life line?"

"Um, a what?"

"Yeah, they just asked for a bailout, man! Fuck, and I was going to start trying to do what you do. Glad I held off. How are you doing by the way? Still able to hang on? Will I be seeing you asking for a UPS application?"

"Uh, actually if you believed it was anything more than a joke, I am the one that is relieved to know you are going to skip out on working in the adult industry. Obviously you are too gullible to be your own boss."

Why does Phoenix of all places have a hockey team?

That is Talbots? They must not be around where I live.

I just saw that Sirius got a huge infusion of capitol and that it should be enough to guarantee they are going to operate for at least the next 3 years. You never know how accurate that is, but it looks like they are safe.

You should take a drive down Melrose. Once a great place to shop now all the stores are empty.

lmfao :1orglaugh

Damn. I loved that place. La Brea + Melrose = home of arguably the BEST hot dogs in Southern California: Pink's hotdogs.

I would say also lots of mom pops are going bye bye . As far as ritz camera anytime Ive been in one of them they were over priced and had a shit attitude.

I would like to see AFF go away.

bofa

Initiating a public relations disaster like this tells me they're either dumber than dirt or they're in deep, deep poopy.

Either way it don't look good for them.