The world of Tech start-ups has had a rollercoaster ride over the years. Many have come and gone while others have thrived. In order to survive, brands need more to do than keeping up with the times. Huge technology brands having the most promising products have gone bust over a few decades. British and Irish brands are no exceptions to this. Once popular and trendy tech names have entirely disappeared from the UK’s High Streets and households. Here are five defunct British and Irish technology brands that we miss:
Boo.com
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In 1998, two childhood friends, Ms Leander and Malmsten, found an online location where the cool and chic would buy their clothes. It acted not just as a site but a shop assistant, Mr Boo, would help shoppers find their clothes according to their temperament. This British e-commerce business was short-lived and went bankrupt in May 2000 despite £80m of cash from investors such as JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs and Bernard Arnault.
Sinclair
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An electronics company initially established in 1973, Sinclair is another defunct technology giant we miss. It was known by different names over the years but the launch of ZX Spectrum turned it into a household name. ZX Spectrum was the UK’s best-selling computer of the time. Due to financial woes in 1980s, the company sold its entire range of computers and changed its name to Amstrad. The tech brand survived till 1997 when Clive Sinclair was the only employee left.
Maplin
Another defunct UK technology brand once ran 200 stores, and 2300 staff collapsed in February 2018. It started in 1976 with its headquarters in Marlow, UK. It was an extensive mail order service that operated online and by telephone. After a drop in the value of the Pound Sterling in 2016, the retailer was hit by a slump. It reopened again in 2019 and is currently functioning online only.
Phones4U
Having 700 outlets across UK and 5596 people on the job, Phones4U was once the biggest independent cell phone retailer in the UK. It was founded in 1987 by John Caudwell and Brian Morrison. It shut down completely in September 2014, having $200 million in Debt, after it lost a significant contract with Everything Everywhere Limited (EE).
British Home Stores (BHS)
Founded in 1928 in Brixton (London), British Home Stores was a departmental store. Primarily, t started selling clothing and household items but later expanded to include electronics and other tech items. By the time of its closure, the number of stores was 168, with 74 international stores as well. It was a public entity but was taken private by Sir Philip Green in 2000. It shut down its business and went defunct in 2016.
Conclusion
With fluctuating global economies, several technology brands have gone bankrupt or have been merged into other larger brands. The tech market of Britain and Ireland is no exception to such shifts. Hence, technology brands such as Boo.com, Sinclair, Maplin, Phones4U and British Home Stores are some of the names that we miss in our daily life.
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Muhammad Asfandyar is a lawyer having extensive experience in creative content writing, proofreading, legal and academic research writing. He can be reached at asfandyar.edw@gmail.com