charming shoppes

Denny's, Talbots, Coldwater Creek: For less than the price of a cup of coffee, you can buy shares of these established companies. But investor beware: Most penny stocks plunged to those levels for very real reasons, which you'll only discover if you dig deeper. Read on and see for yourself.

Holiday sales are historically make-or-break for many retailers, and every year, several break -- and even go out of business. Others make large cuts in their store numbers and employees. 24/7 Wall St. combed through the numbers and spotlights 10 retailers that won't look the same next year -- if they're even around.

If stores seem picked over this year, don't be fooled into thinking you just missed a crazy sale. It's deliberate. Retailers expect growth and profits in 2010 won't come from new stores, but rather from merchandising the existing ones to the hilt -- with less, but more exclusive merchandise.