If a buyer or rescue plan is not found for the bankrupt Bed Bath & Beyond, the home furnishings retailer may join the list of major retail chains that have gone away in Chattanooga, either by merging with a competitor or shutting down.
— Bi-Lo, once the biggest grocery chain in Chattanooga, was started in 1961 and went defunct in 2021 after the Bi-Lo chain and more than two dozen local stores were sold to Food City.
— Blockbuster, the video rental business started in 1985, once had more than 9,000 stores nationwide before streaming services such as Netflix upended Blockbuster’s videocassette and DVD rental business model. Blockbuster shut down in 2014.
— Borders, a book and music megastore chain started in 1978, had to close its 400 stores in 2011 when it was liquidated.
— Circuit City, which began in 1949 and grew into one of the largest electronics retailers with 1,520 stores at its peak, shut down in 2009.