More top brands seen disappearing in 2009

That includes 10-year-old Abhijit Ramaprasad of Malpitas, Calif.

"We got most of our clothes there," he said. "We went more times than any other store."

He said he'll now have to go someplace like Kohl's or Macy's, but wasn't looking forward to that because those stores are so much bigger.

The vanishing acts weren't just in the U.S. British retailer Woolworths Group PLC collapsed late this year after it was unable to sell its 800-store business that was nearly 100 years old. The stores are closing in stages, with the last set to close Monday.

Beyond the brand names customers will no longer see, people may find many familiar businesses looking different. Retailers may operate far fewer stores or only sell their goods online. Banks may become subsidiaries of those that bought them or their names may be joined.

Circuit City Stores Inc., the nation's second-biggest electronics retailer, is closing more than 150 stores and laying off thousands of employees as it keeps operating and attempts to restructure under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

After Bear Stearns' collapse, several other financial companies were able to stay alive by becoming subsidiaries of healthier banks. The names of those institutions remain, but are likely to fade away over time. Washington Mutual, for example, was bought by JPMorgan. The new owner plans to rename Washington Mutual's bank branches.

The shakeout among companies this year will give sturdier brands a chance to shine and set them apart from their less-than-prosperous counterparts, experts said.

Testa said the economic Darwinism will mean only the strongest stores survive, and they'll use the downturn to get more powerful.

"The really smart companies, when things are bad, take the opportunity to really grow their brand," he said.

Companies will have to find ways to stand out and that includes making sure customers picky about where they spend their money have a better experience, Rodriguez said.

"The brand is going to have a bigger opportunity to stand out and to articulate a promise and to deliver the experience," she said. "And it's going to have to do that in 2009."

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