So That's It For Sharper Image

We guess everyone saw this coming.Sharper Image is shutting down all of its 180-some stores after battling dismal sales, bankruptcy and putting itself on the market. Turnaround firm Hilco Consumer Capital, which has taken on Bombay Co.’s brand; disposition firm Gordon Brothers Group; and others now control the Sharper Image name.According to a press release, the JV plans to sell the company’s products through “wholesale, direct-to-retail (DTR), e-commerce and catalog businesses which will exploit The Sharper Image’s heritage of quality, excitement, innovation and fun.”Can you think of any retail brands that have survived in other channels after shutting down all of their stores? We guess there’s always a place for them here, where someone can purchase an air purifier in an Ambien-induced slumber.On another note, many of Sharper Image’s stores are in high-profile retail venues. How easy of a time will landlords have filling up those spaces in today’s climate?