There are brands that once defined how Americans shopped, communicated, and experienced culture. Radio Shack. Borders Books. BlackBerry. Tower Records. They were not just companies — they were part of daily life.
What Happened To… traces the full arc of these brands from founding to failure, examining not just what went wrong but what they meant to the people who relied on them. Every episode opens with the memory — the experience of walking into that store, holding that device, browsing those shelves — before unwinding the decisions that made it all disappear.
The Nostalgia Factor
These episodes carry a weight that pure business analysis cannot capture. When ninety-four percent of Americans lived within five miles of a Radio Shack, losing that store meant something beyond retail statistics. When Tower Records closed, it was not just a bankruptcy — it was the end of a place where people discovered music.
This series respects that emotional dimension while still delivering rigorous analysis of the business decisions, market forces, and competitive dynamics that sealed each brand’s fate.
The Common Threads
Across every brand examined in this series, digital disruption appears as a constant force — but it is rarely the whole story. Management failures, identity crises, and the inability to let go of what made them successful are equally responsible.
New episodes premiere every Tuesday.
