Hostess Going Out of Business. Any more?

caldon4523
caldon4523 Posts: 227 Member
in Chit-Chat
I know this is a health site but I love Twinkies. Hostess joins other iconic companies to go under including: TWA, Pan Am, E.F. Hutton, Woolworth, Kenner (the toy company, remember Spirograph) and Borders Books. Based on your shopping habits, what brands do you think will go under by the end of this decade?

My list would include: Sears, Barns & Nobles, Kmart, Ziebart (yes, they are still in business. Ziebart has become like one of those old actors who suddenly appears in a commercial when all this time you thought they were dead, like Abe Vigoda. Oh, and yeah, Abe is still alive).

On a side note, I’m not anti business. In fact, I have an MBA. I think the companies I’ve listed above have done a remarkably poor job of branding themselves relevant for the coming years. Perhaps there is a senior executive of one of these companies reading this thread and tomorrow morning will go to work and shake up their floundering company with the end result of keeping Americans at their company employed.

So, which companies do you think will go under?
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Replies

  • ScatteredThoughts
    ScatteredThoughts Posts: 3,562 Member
    They are not necessarily iconic brands, but I would be surprised if Nokia and Blackberry lasted much longer.
  • caldon4523
    caldon4523 Posts: 227 Member
    I think Blackberry fell asleep at the wheel while iPhone and Droid were in the fast land.
  • lloydrt
    lloydrt Posts: 1,121 Member
    I miss Montgomery Wards, and I have a feeling that Sears will be next.....Sears still has the best in tools...Craftsman

    also, we lost Foleys here in the South , Dilliards and Joskes.............lots of old names going down the tube..........
  • DebbieLyn63
    DebbieLyn63 Posts: 2,654 Member
    Radio Shack. Perhaps they do a lot of online business, but in our local store, there are hardly any customers in the store on the few times that I have actually gone in there. And most of the time they don't have what I need anyway. Perhaps they have even already gone out of business and I didn't know it?
  • caldon4523
    caldon4523 Posts: 227 Member
    Wow, Joske's. I forgot about that one. I'm from San Antonio and I saw a photograph, era 1925, showing the funeral procession for Joske passing by his flagship store at the corner of Alamo and Commerce Streets, overlooking historic Alamo Plaza where the Alamo is. For Christmas, that store would place a large Santa Claus perched on the roof corner. After the season was over, the Santa Claus would be stored on the roof behind the pillars. You could see the Santa Claus from the surrounding tall buildings.
  • elskars
    elskars Posts: 18
    Hostess will be back. This is their way of getting rid of the unions and bringing in cheaper labor. Might be a new name, but it will be the same bosses. And look, they get to sell out every single product in their inventory as well, what a coincidence!
  • LennyInFlorida
    LennyInFlorida Posts: 202
    Twinkies and other brand names under hostess will not be lost.

    Hostess will sell off those trademarks during a bankruptcy sale and you will be eating ding dongs again under little debbie or similar :)

    Companies recognize the Twinky brand name is a money maker...and money rules all :)
  • 130annie
    130annie Posts: 339 Member
    Zellers in Canada.....
  • TriShamelessly
    TriShamelessly Posts: 905 Member
    Hostess will be back. This is their way of getting rid of the unions and bringing in cheaper labor. Might be a new name, but it will be the same bosses. And look, they get to sell out every single product in their inventory as well, what a coincidence!

    The brand names will be bought up by competitiors. The company itself is dead due to bad management and bad union behavior.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    I sure hope it's not Kmart. I love my Kmart. I shop there every payday!

    In fact, we have two Kmart stores in my city, 8 total in the region.
  • knk1553
    knk1553 Posts: 438 Member

    My list would include: Sears, Barns & Nobles, Kmart, Ziebart (yes, they are still in business. Ziebart has become like one of those old actors who suddenly appears in a commercial when all this time you thought they were dead, like Abe Vigoda. Oh, and yeah, Abe is still alive).

    I don't think Barnes & Nobles is going anywhere, the ones around here ALWAYS have lines, pretty much no matter what time of day I go they're crazy busy, and they have their ebook and Nook sales, even if someone owns an ipad, they still read their ebooks through the kindle or nook apps, which they purchase the books through amazon or barnes and nobles.

    I think k-mart, roses (yeah we still have those bad boys around here haha), and jc penny will be gone soon.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    I miss Montgomery Wards, and I have a feeling that Sears will be next.....Sears still has the best in tools...Craftsman

    also, we lost Foleys here in the South , Dilliards and Joskes.............lots of old names going down the tube..........

    I miss Montgomery Wards as well. We still have the coffee table we purchased from them when they did their liquidation sale.
  • dmpizza
    dmpizza Posts: 3,321 Member
    I dont think MFP will be around because the calorie counts are wrong and you cant chat.
  • 12skipafew99100
    12skipafew99100 Posts: 1,669 Member
    In our town Pizza Hut and KFC's lots are always empty.
  • caldon4523
    caldon4523 Posts: 227 Member
    In our town Pizza Hut and KFC's lots are always empty.
    I use to work at Pizza Hut during college. That was the best time! Pizza Hut was #1 in San Antonio during the 70s. Today there are few stores with actual seating. Most are carry out. Competition from other chains like Papa Johns and Domino's are killing Pizza Hut. Soon, Pizza Hut will go the way of Pizza Inn. Remember that one?
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    In our town Pizza Hut and KFC's lots are always empty.
    I use to work at Pizza Hut during college. That was the best time! Pizza Hut was #1 in San Antonio during the 70s. Today there are few stores with actual seating. Most are carry out. Competition from other chains like Papa Johns and Domino's are killing Pizza Hut. Soon, Pizza Hut will go the way of Pizza Inn. Remember that one?

    I remember Pizza Inn!

    In KC, we have Minsky's and Fun House. Minsky's is gourmet pizza (with things like seafood pizza YUM!) and Fun House used to be a place to go hear live music, but they put TVs on the stage several years ago. Both of these places are *always* crowded, but Fun House doesn't deliver, and Minsky's has smallish delivery areas. So here, Pizza Hut, Papa John's, and Domino's only do delivery and carry-out. You can't sit and eat at any of them. (But with yummy pizza as an alternative, why would you want to? :laugh:)
  • hoppinglark
    hoppinglark Posts: 213 Member
    Little Debbie already makes the same things
    Nothing is really changing.
  • FlaxMilk
    FlaxMilk Posts: 3,452 Member
    Barnes & Noble has terrible customer service. It won't shock me at all if they go out of business. I was surprised when Borders did.
  • DebbieLyn63
    DebbieLyn63 Posts: 2,654 Member
    Pizza Inn went away because it had nasty overpriced pizza. Pizza Hut has the best tasting pizza, IMO, and they have lowered their prices to be competitive with Dominoes, which is definitely not worth the price, or the calories in my book. Pizza Hut, however will survive! And KFC go away? NEVER! Great, now I really want some KFC. Gee thanks! :angry:
  • wk9t
    wk9t Posts: 237 Member
    I agree, Sears & KMart,. I'm surprised they have lasted this long. JC Penney may be in trouble also.
  • LinaBo
    LinaBo Posts: 342 Member
    Mercifully, Saputo Inc owns the license to the Hostess brand, up here in Canada... so Twinkies and other Hostess goodies are safe, up here! Also, for anyone concerned about Wonderbread (also owned by Hostess Brands in the States), it's safe up here, too:

    http://www.geekosystem.com/canadian-twinkies/

    As for companies circling the drain, I agree on Sears and Blackberry. I can't speak for Kmart in the States, but I wouldn't be surprised; they scaled back about 16 years ago by pulling out of Canada completely.
  • AyaKara
    AyaKara Posts: 220
    So happy that they're going of business, it's for the best! More healthy living for the world, at least to some extent. :smile:
  • LJCannon
    LJCannon Posts: 3,636 Member
    :drinker: Not sure I have an opinion to add, but I am enjoying reading this thread!!
  • Surfrider
    Surfrider Posts: 364 Member
    Blackberry (parent company RIM) has been on the verge of bankruptcy for a couple years now. They were cutting edge back in the day, but development stagnated and iPhone left them in the dust. They have still failed to come up with anything remotely competitive.

    B&N, as pointed out already are trying to compete with Amazon with their own e-reader and online presence. If they do fail, you cant say they didnt try.

    Pizza Hut, I am not sure about. I have always been of the mind that Pizza Hut pizza (pan pizza) tastes great when its fresh. Its got a nice crisp outer crust and soft inner crust. All of which is lost when delivered as it becomes a steamed / grease soaked mess. No one really dines-in like back in the day, so who knows what their long term plan is.

    K-Mart, I honestly thought had closed up years ago.
  • caldon4523
    caldon4523 Posts: 227 Member
    Little Debbie already makes the same things
    Nothing is really changing.
    An interesting comparison between Little Debbie and Hostess is their price. You can go to convenient stores and buy Little Debbie snacks for about .50 cents as opposed to about $1.25 for a Hostess snack cake. My pallet is not highly refined so they taste similar. I maybe wrong but my wallet prefers Little Debbies.
  • bathsheba_c
    bathsheba_c Posts: 1,873 Member
    Hostess will be back. This is their way of getting rid of the unions and bringing in cheaper labor. Might be a new name, but it will be the same bosses. And look, they get to sell out every single product in their inventory as well, what a coincidence!

    The brand names will be bought up by competitiors. The company itself is dead due to bad management and bad union behavior.

    The union didn't do a damned thing wrong. The company got sold (earning the old owners a nice chunk of change), then the new owners borrowed a ton of money that went into their own pockets rather than the company's (earning them a nice chunk of change, too), and then they expected the employees to pay off the debt by giving up their salaries and pensions.
  • starcatcher1975
    starcatcher1975 Posts: 292 Member
    In our town Pizza Hut and KFC's lots are always empty.
    I use to work at Pizza Hut during college. That was the best time! Pizza Hut was #1 in San Antonio during the 70s. Today there are few stores with actual seating. Most are carry out. Competition from other chains like Papa Johns and Domino's are killing Pizza Hut. Soon, Pizza Hut will go the way of Pizza Inn. Remember that one?

    We actually have 2 Pizza Inns near where I live. I was shocked because I hadn't seen one in years until I moved up here. And their chocolate chip pizza is amazing. Also their taco pizza!

    ETA: someone said they had nasty overpriced pizza. I'm glad I've never eaten at that one. Both the ones in this area have always had good, fresh food when we've been there.
  • leska1216
    leska1216 Posts: 260
    Radio Shack. Perhaps they do a lot of online business, but in our local store, there are hardly any customers in the store on the few times that I have actually gone in there. And most of the time they don't have what I need anyway. Perhaps they have even already gone out of business and I didn't know it?

    Here in BC (Canada), Radio Shack has been taken over by the Source. This happened quite a few years ago, maybe 5?

    We have also lost Zellers, Fields, and the Bay as they have been taken over by Target. Next to close will be the Bay, but then again it is no longer a Canadian icon since Target has acquired the brand.

    K-Mart left years ago. Oh, those flashing blue light specials!! And then, of course, there is Winners/HomeSense. Since neither store has anything good in stock they are great places to go and not buy anything.

    We lost our Overwaitea and Cooper's grocery stores when Jimmy Pattison took over and changed the brand logo to Save On foods.

    I miss my Office Depot. Only have Staples now, and I was never a fan of Staples, but now have no choice as where to go for office supplies.

    And now Buy-Low or Best Buy (or something like that) is trying to take over Rona/Revy. Couldn't buy them out so have started an effort to have the board ousted.

    First there was Woolworth's who morphed into Woolco who lost out and became Wal-Mart. And now I am forced to become a Wal-Mart shopper, despise the store, but then again, I can't think how Target will be any better.

    Pizza Hut is yuck, don't know Pizza Inn. Taco Bell and KFC are sharing floor space, both are yuck.
  • momofthreesons
    momofthreesons Posts: 162 Member
    Hostess going out of business. Any more? Ummm I couldnt care LESS. Honestly my health and fitness are way more important than any cake they make!
  • angel79202
    angel79202 Posts: 1,012 Member
    Not sure what is going out..but I sure miss Clover, Strawbridge's, Ames, Bradlees, and Woolworth :)

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