Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

People Explain Which Seemingly Obsolete Companies They're Surprised Are Still In Operation Today

A shot of a small gift store with a 'final blitz' sign
Photo by Help Stay on Unsplash
Make us preferred on Google

There are so many companies and products that have fallen by the wayside as time marched on.

Some companies we never thought we'd live without.

Some, we're glad to see crumble... I'm looking at you Columbia House.

Who else thought CDs for a dollar sounded too good to be true?

It's always surprising when you stumble upon a company or store still open that you could've sworn had shuttered long ago.

If only I could find a Shoney's.

Best breakfast buffet ever!

Because I certainly don't need anymore Amway.


Redditor HRJafael wanted to know who still has their doors open and has some staff, so they asked:

"What 'obsolete' companies are you surprised are still holding on in the modern world?"

The other day I saw a Radio Shack. I thought it was 1999.

What's next? A Circuit City?

Who is She?

Weight Loss Lol GIF by Sofa City SweetheartGiphy

"Jenny Craig just bottomed up this week. I'm surprised it lasted this long."

BlackPopeye_03

Knock, Knock

"I had some older woman knocking on my door at like 2 pm on a Wednesday trying to come in and give me a demo of a Kirby vacuum cleaner. Also, door-to-door salespeople are apparently still a thing in 2023."

jimx117

"I have a nice Kirby from one of those salespeople. Convinced her to try some homemade shine. Her driver/supervisor stopped and tried some as well. They both got so buzzed they left the demo model at my house. It’s been 4 years and no one has tried to get it back. Quite a few attachments as well."

HoosierPaul

The Catalog

"I read that Netflix just announced they are going to stop mailing DVD's for rental in the next few months. I thought they stopped doing that a long time ago."

King_Kong_The_eleven

"Apparently this is a big deal for hardcore movie fans, as there are many movies deep in the movie catalog that are not available to view through streaming."

roraima_is_very_tall

"There's a reasonably large community that prefers physical media, particularly UHD BDs to streaming. I mean it does make sense, those enthusiasts have spent considerable amounts of money on their equipment, so they will naturally get the best possible picture quality."

samstown23

Hey John

"There's a secret society among us that is keeping Long John Silvers afloat."

EMPRAH40k

"My grandma liked to go there for a piece of fish and some hush puppies. Then she’d take me to McDonald’s for coffee (for her -I was a small child) and a vanilla cone. When I miss her I go to one of the last Long John Silvers in my area and get fish and hush puppies."

yesiamyam233203

"Secret society meaning those who only eat fish during Lent."

"I mentioned it in a different thread but Lent is like a 40-day Black Friday for Long John Silvers."

"Source: former LJS employee who experienced lines out the door during Lent."

StasnoFrete

AO What?

aol GIFGiphy

"Blows my mind that aol.com is still a thing."

Iliveacrossthegreen

"I honestly thought this was gone and I didn't notice until I worked in IT support and saw people with AOL emails. Total shock for me."

Arcades_Samnoth

I still can't believe I know people with AOL.

Do they know the century?

Bad Execution

raul julia GIFGiphy

"Cutco. Seems like they could be much more successful if they dropped their current sales rep pyramid model."

i0datamonster

"Yeah, I never understood the MLM thing. Sometimes the product is actually good, but the execution is garbage."

CpuJunky

I need a number

"The yellow pages."

AlternativeSelfee

"I do remember before being able to look stuff up online, going out of town & browsing the yellow pages @ the hotel looking for places to eat & many other things. I couldn't tell you when I last saw a set of yellow pages."

Runes_my_ride

"I work at a hotel. About once every two years I get someone asking if we have a copy of the Yellow Pages."

steelgate601

A reason for every holiday...

"Party City. Their stores are huge and every time I go there’s less than 10 customers."

iamnotkelly

"Party City is one of those stores that makes its nut from a few days a year. The week before Halloween and there's a line out the door."

"4th of July, Easter, graduation time, and Thanksgiving and Christmas are when they do their business. It's a one-stop shop for everything you need for an event that allows you to see it beforehand and not make a bad Amazon purchase."

StalkMeNowCrazyLady

Bad Health

"Herbalife. Don’t the people know? Lol."

CThreePHo

"They've been opening storefronts that pose as small health food shake shops in place of (or in addition to?) the old MLM model. They just opened one down the street from my job and stopped by with free samples."

"They tried really hard to disguise that it's Herbalife."

"It's a really weird business model, you buy a 'one-day membership' in their health club that comes with a shake and an energy tea and I think that's supposed to let them skirt some legal issue with the shops?"

daabilge

Check Please

Applebees GIFGiphy

"Applebees. I can microwave my own food."

User8675309021069

"The other week I was at Applebee's when the waitress came by and I told her that my Pepsi wasn't tasting right, and she offered to put water in it."

REDDIT

Applebee's? Who in the world wold still eat there? I've turned down free food from there. Geesh.

What would you add to the list? Let us know in the comments below.

More from Trending/best-of-reddit

Kathy Hochul; Mike Lawler
Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images; Kena Betancur/Getty Images

Kathy Hochul Has A+ Reaction After Defeated MAGA Rep. 'Leaves Door Open' For Future New York Gubernatorial Run

New York Governor Kathy Hochul's press office had a hilarious response to a New York Post report that outgoing Republican Representative Mike Lawler is leaving the "door open" for a future run for governor of the state.

Lawler, a hardline supporter of President Donald Trump, was previously encouraged by GOP leaders a year and a half ago not to pursue a gubernatorial bid, hoping instead he’d help them keep the seat.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump Jr.
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Don Jr. Dragged After Looking High As A Kite In Bizarre Video Defending Russell Brand

Donald Trump Jr. turned heads after appearing intoxicated on a recent episode of his Triggered podcast while defending actor Russell Brand after Southwark Crown Court convicted Brand of rape and three counts of sexual assault and handed down a 10-and-a-half-year prison sentence.

Trump Jr. falsely asserted that Brand had been convicted despite the absence of forensic or DNA evidence and a contemporaneous police report. He also questioned why the allegations had not surfaced publicly sooner, while suggesting that Brand’s religious conversion and political positions were somehow relevant to the prosecution.

Keep ReadingShow less
Gordon Ramsay attends the 2026 Fox Upfront at New York City Center on May 11, 2026, in New York City.
Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images

Gordon Ramsay Shows Off His Ripped Abs In 60th Birthday Post—And Fans Are Impressed

Gordon Ramsay is a man of many talents. He's a world-renowned chef, a television personality, and the face behind the infamous “idiot sandwich” meme. But at 60, the culinary icon is serving something entirely different—and this time, it's not on the menu.

With Michelin stars, an international restaurant empire, and shows including Hell's Kitchen, MasterChef, and Kitchen Nightmares, Ramsay has enough accolades to make even his harshest critics think twice.

Keep ReadingShow less
Grace Hackett with cast of Chicago Fire
Grace Hackett/TikTok

Woman Goes Viral After Stumbling Upon 'Chicago Fire' Cast Right After Getting Dumped—And They Had Her Back

There's nothing worse than getting dumped. But getting hyped up by the cast of a hit show in the aftermath sure does help!

That's what happened to content creator Grace Hackett, who was walking home heartbroken after being dumped by her boyfriend when she stumbled upon the cast of Chicago Fire.

Keep ReadingShow less
Rosie O'Donnell; Megyn Kelly
Bruce Glikas/Getty Images; The Megyn Kelly Show

Rosie O'Donnell Rips Megyn Kelly With NSFW Post After She Called Russell Brand's Prison Sentence An 'Outrage'

After facing years of allegations of sexual assault from multiple women, actor and comedian Russell Brand went on trial in October for his crimes in his native Britain at London's Southwark Crown Court.

On Thursday, November 5, a jury convicted Brand for one rape and three sexual assaults—groping women in public in front of multiple witnesses—perpetrated against four different women. The jury didn't find sufficient evidence to convict Brand on three additional assaults.

Keep ReadingShow less