Circuit City Retail Stores
Circuit City became one of the largest retailers to go out of business this year, after the 60-year old electronics chain declared bankruptcy at the end of 2008.
Saturn
Saturn was one of four GM brands orphaned when the largest U.S. automaker went bankrupt early this year. The brand was originally intended to help GM compete with smaller, imported cars. But sales were generally tepid and the Saturn languished as Americans became increasingly fond of big SUVs.
Pontiac
Pontiac, best known for muscle cars such as the GTO and Firebird, had been a staple of GM's product line since it began production in 1926. But it didn't make the cut when the automaker emerged from bankruptcy in July with a new focus on its "core" brands.
Kodachrome
When Kodak introduced Kodachrome in 1935, it became the first commercially successful color film.
But demand for traditional films evaporated over the last decade as digital photography became increasingly available. At the time it was retired in June, sales of Kodachrome were less than 1% of Kodak's still picture film revenue.
Home Depot Expo
Home Depot, the No. 1 home improvement chain, announced plans early this year to shutter its Expo Design Centers as demand for granite countertops and custom window treatments withered. Launched in the early 1990s, Expo offered a variety of upscale home decor items and custom-installation services. The brand was aimed at homeowners who wanted a luxury remodel without having to hire an interior designer.
Max Factor
Procter & Gamble announced plans in June to pull Max Factor cosmetics from the U.S. market as the brand's popularity with American consumers waned. The iconic makeup line, which remains a top seller in some European markets, had been losing ground in the United States to more contemporary rivals such as CoverGirl. Max Factor, named for a pioneering Hollywood makeup artist, had its heyday in the 1920s and 1930s.
MSN Encarta
Microsoft quietly closed the book on Encarta earlier this year as free reference materials online came to eclipse the once-popular digital encyclopedia. Encarta was a relatively revolutionary product when it was first published on CD-ROM in 1993. It contained a trove of articles, images, maps and multimedia features. Later, the content was also accessible online for a yearly subscription fee.
Gourmet Magazine
Of all the publications lost this year, the demise of Gourmet Magazine was one of the hardest to swallow.
Condé Nast said in October that the magazine, introduced in 1940, is expected to close by the end of the year. However, the brand lives on in book publishing and television programming, and Gourmet recipes still appear on Epicurious.com.
Saab
For GM's Swedish subsidiary, 2009 was a year of fake-outs and confusion. Deals were talked about, announced and, mysteriously, dropped. The only thing that was absolutely clear was that Saab and GM would end their two decade relationship. As it turned out, the relationship is ending with Saab's death after no buyer could be found that was willing to complete the deal. In August, GM announced it had a deal with the Swedish supercar maker Koenigsegg but, in November, it was announced that Koenigsegg had backed out. Then Spyker, the Dutch manufacturer of wildly-styled exotic sports cars, put in a bid but that deal, too fell through. So GM announced in mid-December its decision to wind down the brand.
http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2009/news/0912/gallery.brands_we_lost/9.html
Only One Im Mad About Is Pontiac.... I wanted to see a new GTO to compete with The challenger, Camaro & Mustang... Shitt....
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