While this year saw scores of bankruptcies—many from long-beleaguered retail brands including JC Penney and J. Crew as well as struggling restaurateurs Ruby Tuesday and Sizzler’s—several brands have restructured enough to limp into 2021. Below are 11 brands that were not so lucky. The list also includes those that have morphed into new identities or had previously planned goodbyes following years of success.
Lord & Taylor's tale
Despite a lifeline from its acquisition last year by fashion startup Le Tote, storied department store Lord & Taylor finally met its end in 2020 after nearly a century of operation. It’s a sad demise for a retailer that had 79 stores and $2.2 billion in annual sales in its heyday.
A Grey day
Late this year, WPP announced it was merging its 103-year-old Grey brand with AKQA and retiring the Grey name. Well, mainly. The new entity, AKQA Group, will have 6,000 staffers.
Not so golden for Saint Archer Gold
As seltzer continues to rise to the top of consumers’ beverage preference lists, brewers are making some cuts. The most recent is Saint Archer Gold, a light lager that began nationwide distribution by brewer Molson Coors earlier this year. Molson Coors recently said it will be halting production of the beer as it focuses on hard seltzer brands.