Here's an interesting one: http://www.endless.com/

It was their competitor to Zappos. Shoe-focused, free overnight shipping and returns. I would call it a failure since they subsequently bought Zappos. But like you said, not very visible since they never shut Endless down. No real point, since it's just another skin on Amazon.com.

I'd call those failures "failed experiments." Willingness to experiment is the hallmark of a well-run company.

Since history only includes what's recorded, I'd say the original statement is still true then.