Blockbuster shuts down 960 stores -- if yours is closing post here
#426
DVD Talk Platinum Edition
Re: Blockbuster shuts down 960 stores -- if yours is closing post here
That was in interesting video. I worked at Blockbuster in the late 90's and employee theft was rampant back then too. When placing orders for movies, some people would order an extra copy or two for themselves, then just never put them on the shelf and take them home. Others simply took what they wanted when the store closed. I remember at one point they rented entire video game systems, and those got stolen too. When customers paid a late fee in cash, some employees pocketed that money and zeroed out the late fee in the computer. It boggled my mind that no one was ever caught and nothing was ever done about it.
#427
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Re: Blockbuster shuts down 960 stores -- if yours is closing post here
I went in our Blockbuster, which had been there since I was at least 7 years old (so we're talking almost 30 years it was there), about a week or so before it closed and it was kind of depressing. They were selling off the tvs that they'd show trailers on. The racks that the dvds used to sit on were even for sale. There was a bin of 5 for a dollar dvd cases (mostly eco cases. ugh.) But the coolest thing that I wish I could have picked up had I had the money, was this massive gumball machine with a big Blockbuster Video logo on it.
Just walking through the place, knowing that I would never again have the opportunity to walk through the place gave me the same sort of feeling that I got when I had to help clean out my grandma's house after she passed. Just all sorts of memories kept coming back to me. I thought about when I wasn't quite old enough to reserve a video and having to get my mom to do it for me. There was the coloring contest I entered, but did not win, when I was like 7 or 8. The huge "Book Of Knowledge" that had the lists of every movie that Blockbuster had.
It was just weird. Of course, I hadn't actually rented anything in about 14 years since buying on the internet became a thing, but it was kind of comforting just knowing that the place was there. But it's not anymore, is it? Just the other day, my dad gave me his old Blockbuster card. I have some ex rentals that have Blockbuster cases. But dvd cases just don't have the memories that the old VHS cases had.
Just walking through the place, knowing that I would never again have the opportunity to walk through the place gave me the same sort of feeling that I got when I had to help clean out my grandma's house after she passed. Just all sorts of memories kept coming back to me. I thought about when I wasn't quite old enough to reserve a video and having to get my mom to do it for me. There was the coloring contest I entered, but did not win, when I was like 7 or 8. The huge "Book Of Knowledge" that had the lists of every movie that Blockbuster had.
It was just weird. Of course, I hadn't actually rented anything in about 14 years since buying on the internet became a thing, but it was kind of comforting just knowing that the place was there. But it's not anymore, is it? Just the other day, my dad gave me his old Blockbuster card. I have some ex rentals that have Blockbuster cases. But dvd cases just don't have the memories that the old VHS cases had.
#428
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Re: Blockbuster shuts down 960 stores -- if yours is closing post here
The Blockbuster down the street from me closed, and I bought a bunch of their DVD's in the White Envelopes.
And got some good deals on some Blu Rays.
Will miss them.
And got some good deals on some Blu Rays.
Will miss them.
#429
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Re: Blockbuster shuts down 960 stores -- if yours is closing post here
This week it's two years since my last Blockbuster purchase. Just watched that movie last night (Captain America) and the receipt was in the box. Amazing how many DVDs I picked up over the years there; and VHS before that. Then poof it's gone; or more like pssssssssst it's gone. Thanks a lot Dish Network. There will never be another source of used DVDs/Blus to equal it.
#430
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Blockbuster shuts down 960 stores -- if yours is closing post here
If your local Blockbuster closed its doors before you could return that overdue DVD you just found under your couch, you’re in luck — you can still drop it off. The only catch is that you might have to drive to Alaska to do it. Although Blockbuster shuttered its remaining corporate-owned brick-and-mortar outlets in January 2014, its bare-bones website lists roughly 50 stores that remain open in such locations as Bend, Oregon; Grand Forks, North Dakota; and even a town called the North Pole, Alaska, on 320 North Santa Claus Lane, to be exact. (Hat tip to reddit for finding the list.) “If you were to go into any of our stores in Alaska on a Friday or Saturday night, you’d be surprised how many people are in there,” says Alan Payne, the owner of more than 20 of the remaining stores.
Payne’s and the rest of the surviving Blockbusters are essentially BINOs — Blockbusters in Name Only. With the corporate superstructure dissolved, they operate independently, navigating their own way through an increasingly shrinking market. They’re also now technically classified as licensees rather than franchisees, since the owners pay a monthly fee for the right to use the Blockbuster name. And the Blockbuster name is really all that exists of the once-mighty video rental store chain, which a mere decade ago, boasted a market value of $5 billion, with 9,000 stores staffed by 60,000 know-it-all teen film buffs and/or wanna-be filmmakers
Behind the scenes, though, this definitely isn’t the ’90s anymore. For starters, Payne rarely deals with anyone from his ex-parent company. “As far as I know there is no Blockbuster Inc. anymore, other than somebody taking our [licensing] checks every month,” he laughs. That means he’s the one who sets the standard prices on rentals — generally about $3.99-$4.99 for new releases, while older movies rent for 49 cents a day, or 99 cents for five days. And he decides how many copies of specific titles to stock, purchasing them either directly from wholesalers or, occasionally, from Walmart or Best Buy.
He also grants the individual stores a certain degree of autonomy, furnishing them with local budgets to respond to the tastes of their respective communities. For example, horror movies are extremely popular in Texas, which perhaps isn’t surprising, since it’s a state known for its multiple cinematic chainsaw massacres. Meanwhile, up in Alaska, where high broadband rates can make streaming services a pricey proposition, renters snap up full seasons of TV shows. Payne says that HBO series like True Blood and Game of Thrones always fly off the shelves, as does FX’s Sons of Anarchy, NBC’s Grimm and AMC’s The Walking Dead and Breaking Bad. “[In Alaska] you can’t afford to binge-watch on Netflix,” he explains, “so you’ll binge-watch by renting a season of something on DVD for a few dollars.”
Payne’s and the rest of the surviving Blockbusters are essentially BINOs — Blockbusters in Name Only. With the corporate superstructure dissolved, they operate independently, navigating their own way through an increasingly shrinking market. They’re also now technically classified as licensees rather than franchisees, since the owners pay a monthly fee for the right to use the Blockbuster name. And the Blockbuster name is really all that exists of the once-mighty video rental store chain, which a mere decade ago, boasted a market value of $5 billion, with 9,000 stores staffed by 60,000 know-it-all teen film buffs and/or wanna-be filmmakers
Behind the scenes, though, this definitely isn’t the ’90s anymore. For starters, Payne rarely deals with anyone from his ex-parent company. “As far as I know there is no Blockbuster Inc. anymore, other than somebody taking our [licensing] checks every month,” he laughs. That means he’s the one who sets the standard prices on rentals — generally about $3.99-$4.99 for new releases, while older movies rent for 49 cents a day, or 99 cents for five days. And he decides how many copies of specific titles to stock, purchasing them either directly from wholesalers or, occasionally, from Walmart or Best Buy.
He also grants the individual stores a certain degree of autonomy, furnishing them with local budgets to respond to the tastes of their respective communities. For example, horror movies are extremely popular in Texas, which perhaps isn’t surprising, since it’s a state known for its multiple cinematic chainsaw massacres. Meanwhile, up in Alaska, where high broadband rates can make streaming services a pricey proposition, renters snap up full seasons of TV shows. Payne says that HBO series like True Blood and Game of Thrones always fly off the shelves, as does FX’s Sons of Anarchy, NBC’s Grimm and AMC’s The Walking Dead and Breaking Bad. “[In Alaska] you can’t afford to binge-watch on Netflix,” he explains, “so you’ll binge-watch by renting a season of something on DVD for a few dollars.”
#431
DVD Talk Reviewer & TOAT Winner
Re: Blockbuster shuts down 960 stores -- if yours is closing post here
So do these stores have porn, or at least some of the 'legitimate movies' that were rated NC-17 and thus automatically banned from Blockbuster?
#432
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Blockbuster shuts down 960 stores -- if yours is closing post here
#433
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Re: Blockbuster shuts down 960 stores -- if yours is closing post here
I think this is rather interesting ... Why continue to operate under the Blockbuster moniker if you are not receiving anything in return?
I can see the argument of "this is what our customer's know us as" however these sound like very "community integrated" stores which could change their name without customer fallout. I am rather surprised the Blockbuster name is considered an asset and not an albatross liability.
PS -- this helps prove the video store concept is neither dead nor a bad business model. I have said this for the last decade. Video stores can still be successful if they are run properly. It was the corporate publicly held company model which failed, not the video store model.
I can see the argument of "this is what our customer's know us as" however these sound like very "community integrated" stores which could change their name without customer fallout. I am rather surprised the Blockbuster name is considered an asset and not an albatross liability.
PS -- this helps prove the video store concept is neither dead nor a bad business model. I have said this for the last decade. Video stores can still be successful if they are run properly. It was the corporate publicly held company model which failed, not the video store model.
#434
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Blockbuster shuts down 960 stores -- if yours is closing post here
I think this is rather interesting ... Why continue to operate under the Blockbuster moniker if you are not receiving anything in return?
I can see the argument of "this is what our customer's know us as" however these sound like very "community integrated" stores which could change their name without customer fallout. I am rather surprised the Blockbuster name is considered an asset and not an albatross liability.
PS -- this helps prove the video store concept is neither dead nor a bad business model. I have said this for the last decade. Video stores can still be successful if they are run properly. It was the corporate publicly held company model which failed, not the video store model.
I can see the argument of "this is what our customer's know us as" however these sound like very "community integrated" stores which could change their name without customer fallout. I am rather surprised the Blockbuster name is considered an asset and not an albatross liability.
PS -- this helps prove the video store concept is neither dead nor a bad business model. I have said this for the last decade. Video stores can still be successful if they are run properly. It was the corporate publicly held company model which failed, not the video store model.
#435
DVD Talk Reviewer & TOAT Winner
Re: Blockbuster shuts down 960 stores -- if yours is closing post here
Well, would they have gotten this free publicity if they'd used any other name? I kind of see this as "taking back Blockbuster."
#437
DVD Talk Special Edition
Re: Blockbuster shuts down 960 stores -- if yours is closing post here
This looks like something out of a David Lynch film.
I recently had a dream where I discovered that the Hollywood Video I worked for in my teens was somehow still being kept open by my former manager.
A lot of former Blockbusters and Hollywood Videos I've driven by have been vacant all these years, no new businesses renting out the premises. Is it like this in other areas?
I recently had a dream where I discovered that the Hollywood Video I worked for in my teens was somehow still being kept open by my former manager.
A lot of former Blockbusters and Hollywood Videos I've driven by have been vacant all these years, no new businesses renting out the premises. Is it like this in other areas?
#438
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Blockbuster shuts down 960 stores -- if yours is closing post here
The Blockbuster across the street from me still has old signage in the store they never got rid of. It's kind of eerie driving by there at night since sometimes the lights are on.
#439
DVD Talk Special Edition
Re: Blockbuster shuts down 960 stores -- if yours is closing post here
This reminds me of that South Park episode where Randy Marsh owns that one "haunted" Blockbuster store and ends up chasing his wife & kids through the rental isles like Jack Torrance in The Shining.
#440
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Blockbuster shuts down 960 stores -- if yours is closing post here
One now hosts one of those rent-to-own places, and another is a mattress store. The others I can think of offhand are still empty.
#441
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Blockbuster shuts down 960 stores -- if yours is closing post here
#442
Challenge Guru & Comic Nerd
Re: Blockbuster shuts down 960 stores -- if yours is closing post here
My closest Blockbuster has been empty for at least a couple years now. The supermarket in the same plaza went under about the same time. I have no idea how that plaza stays in business. It has a Subway, a tax place, and a cleaners; with the rest of it empty and dilapidated looking.
#443
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Re: Blockbuster shuts down 960 stores -- if yours is closing post here
A former Blockbuster in my town became the Obama campaign headquarters in 2012 and is now a pretty nice restaurant. The latter still surprises me, but I haven't been in to check it out.