The current trend in retail is a mass exodus from brink-&-mortar locations towards the internet. This trend has seen many retailers file for bankruptcy in recent years, but bankruptcy isn’t always the end.

As sites like Amazon plow through the world of retail, many companies have filed for Chapter 7 or Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The thing is that bankruptcy and liquidation are not the same thing. Many bankruptcies actually just serve the more short-term purpose of allowing the company to take some time off while it prepares to jump back into the market. In retail, bankruptcy can often mean just closing the weakest stores, getting bought by another company, or any other restructuring efforts.

The biggest examples of this trend are certainly Sears and Kmart. Sears and its subsidiary declared bankruptcy and shut down many locations in order to fight the need to liquidate. The retailers were bought out by Transform Holdco in January, and they went on to buy 400 stores out of bankruptcy. Some stores still ended up closing down, but Sears can now claim to have gone through a bankruptcy and come out on the other end of the tunnel so that you can still shop there.

This isn’t unique to Sears, of course. Many smaller retailers have also filed for bankruptcy but managed to stay afloat. David’s Bridal filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy last November, but they can still sell you a wedding dress today.