Most can recall their local Blockbuster store closing a few years back after the company went bankrupt. Many who weren't already online streaming via sites like Netflix and Hulu Plus, or renting from Coinstar's Redbox, quickly converted. So, when Dish Spokesman John Hall told The Denver Post, Monday, that Blockbuster will close a slew of stores and cut close to 3,000 jobs, many were surprised to learn that the company was still around, just under different ownership.
In 2010, when you saw Blockbuster store covered with giant neon signs reading "Going Out of Business" and "Everything Must Go", you probably shrugged, bought six DVDS for the price of one, and opted to find another means of getting your media. However, those "For Rent" signs that soon occupied those deserted Blockbuster stores did not mean that the company disappeared entirely, some recently learned.
"Are they still around? Well, blow me away," says Huffpost super user "TBabbbldot." Similar sentiments came from "Wil Fry" on CNNMoney.com who shared, "I thought this had already happened. In 2010, every Blockbuster I knew of closed. Most of those buildings were quickly occupied by other businesses. Who knew they were still open?"
Not many people, apparently, but, yes, in effort to save what remained of the bankrupt business, Dish Network Corp. bought Blockbuster in early 2011. To keep up with the changing of times, Blockbuster began offering an online video rental service. Here you select your titles from their online database, receive them in the mail, and then have the option of either mailing them back or returning/exchanging them for another item in your queue at a participating Blockbuster store....that is if you could find one. They also installed BlockbusterExpress kiosks, which people so cleverly call "blue boxes", and began offering streaming services via Dish TV. Unfortunately, the revamp was not successful, and Blockbuster is downsizing a second time since it was acquired by Dish almost two years ago.
Those that knew some Blockbuster stores were still in business were not surprised to hear of the company's further failure in the market.
"Pretty sure the remaining 500 stores will be closed soon. I bought a ROKU unit and no longer have cable or the $100 a month bill that goes along with it at all. Any movies from Blockbuster can be bought through Amazon and used with my Roku. Renting DVDs is a thing of the past... " said "La-Di-Da" via Yahoo Finance.
Overall, the general consensus seems to be that the company has failed to keep up with the competitors who rely significantly on profits from online streaming services, offer lower fees, and practice better customer service.
Despite troubling times, Hall maintains his faith in the company. According to The Denver Post, Dish "continues to see value in the Blockbuster brand, and we continue to analyze the store-level profitability as we have in the past," Hall said.
