It’s been quite a few years since I’ve been on an airplane. And it’s been even longer than that since I’ve purchased some completely useless, idiotic item for no reason at all. However, I still felt a tinge of sadness upon hearing the news that SkyMall has filed for bankruptcy and plans to sell its assets.SkyMall, in case you don’t know, is a catalog distributed to airlines and available in the seat pocket of airplanes. It always seemed like an odd publication to me. Why would anyone think they could sell expensive crap to a bunch of people trapped inside a tube of aluminum traveling at 500 miles per hour, thirty-five thousand feet off the ground, who had no way to order at that moment?Perhaps I lack business vision though, because SkyMall has been around for twenty-five years and pulled in revenue of just under $34 million in 2013. I guess people like crap.Unfortunately for SkyMall, the only thing people like more than crap is electronics. So when airlines began offering internet access passengers turned their attention away from SkyMall. Less attention to the catalog meant fewer orders for items like a Tetris lamp, a mounted squirrel head, or a life-size unpainted Holstein cow statue. And for the love of God, if mounted squirrel heads aren’t selling, how can anyone stay in business?I make fun of SkyMall, but in addition to overpriced stuff that no one would ever miss if they didn’t buy it, SkyMall also produced fodder for a few good blog posts by other talented writers at ChicagoNow. Like this. And this. And this.But I should lay off SkyMall. Despite selling things that no one anywhere in the history of the world has actually needed, and causing their customers to ask “Why did I buy that?” shortly after an item arrives, SkyMall managed to turn a profit for many years. And that’s impressive.It also reminds me that even though SkyMall’s days are numbered, there are plenty of businesses still around that cause me to shake my head and ask, “How do they stay open?” every time I drive by.If you own one of these businesses, or if you like one of these businesses, then accept my apologies. I’m really not making fun of you. I just marvel at the resilience of your business. And if you have any insight into how these businesses continue even though they seem to have no customers, leave it in the comments below.--Fireworks stores. Interstate 94 in northwest Indiana extends for about 45 miles from Illinois to Michigan. And along that route there are approximately eight thousand fireworks stores and fifty thousand billboards for those stores. There is one exit halfway through the state where there are two or three huge fireworks stores. I’m talking warehouses that are the size of a big box retailer.That’s a lot of retail space for a product that only sells one week per year. Those places are crazy busy just before the Fourth of July, but what about the other fifty-one weeks in the year? I’ve heard they do some business for New Year’s too, but there has to be something else going on.Like drug running. Or prostitution. Or gambling.Not really. I’m joking. (Mostly.)Maybe the key is to charge an arm and a leg for something that only costs pennies to produce. Want an e-mail every time I write something new? Type your email address in the box and click the "create subscription" button. I'm not going to send you a bunch of junk, and you can ditch me any time you want.
--Mattress stores. There’s one chain of mattress stores that seems to be opening quite a few locations over the past few months, and it really boggles my mind. There were already two mattress stores by my house, and I never see anyone in either of them. Now that there are three stores the business for those first two stores is going to be cut by one third.Lucky for them a one-third reduction of zero is zero so they’ll see no change.Everyone sleeps on a mattress, so there’s a big market, I suppose. But I’m still sleeping on a mattress my wife bought for me fourteen years ago. So how much repeat business are they getting?Although now that I think about it, I’d like to get a new mattress, and if the mattress stores weren’t there I’m not sure where I’d go to buy one. Maybe I’m just driving by the store at the wrong time. There could be days where there are lines out the door at the mattress store and I’m just not there to see it.At least those customers have a soft place to sit down after waiting in line.--Brown’s chicken. The old slogan used to say, “Brown’s chicken, it tastes better.” But I guess we’ll have to take their word for it because the location by my house always has an empty parking lot.I had fried mushrooms from there about ten years ago, but that’s the only time I’ve ever been there. Maybe I’m just not their target market, especially since I’m vegan this month. The people who eat there must really like to walk because I never see any cars in the parking lot.By the way, what the heck is that yellow thing in their logo? If that’s their chicken no wonder the stores are empty!And don't even get me started on those Fannie May chocolate stores!PREVIOUS POST: How Did I Get to 100 Posts? One at a TimeIF YOU LIKED THIS POST I BET YOU'LL ALSO LIKE: Forget French Toast Crunch, Bring Back Subway's U-Gouge+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++Hey, how 'bout you Share this post on Facebook and Like my page Brett Baker Writes.