Free Republic

Each year, 24/7 Wall St. identifies 10 important brands sold in America that we predict will disappear before 2014. This year’s list reflects the brutally competitive nature of certain industries and the importance of not falling behind in efficiency, innovation or financing. The list also reflects how industry trends can accelerate the demise of certain brands. This year, we included two magazines — Martha Stewart Living and Road & Track. With print advertising in a multiyear decline, some magazines have weathered the decline better than others. These two, however, have suffered sharp drops in advertising revenue over the past five...

"...The timed sales aspect is an impetus to get consumers to act more quickly but that alone is not what makes Groupon successful. It is a necessity more than anything and not the reason why consumers are there in the first place. What I believe is the key to Groupon's success is that many consumers, myself included like ..." (continued)

By 2015, consumers in the U.S. likely will spend nearly $4 billion on daily-deal offers provided by companies such as Groupon and LivingSocial, says a report released Thursday morning. The report, by research firm BIA/Kelsey, offered a three-level estimate for the amount of spending on daily deals. It said $3.9 billion is the “most likely” scenario to play out by 2015. But under the most “optimistic” scenario, it says sales could reach $6 billion, while the firm’s “low-end projection” is $2.1 billion.