Blockbuster departs Alaska, leaving 1 store left in U.S.

A.P. ^ | July 12, 2018

[ConservativeStatement]

ANCHORAGE, Alaska >> Alaska’s last two Blockbuster video stores are calling it quits, leaving just one store open in the United States.

The stores in Anchorage and Fairbanks will close for rentals after Sunday night and reopen Tuesday for video liquidation sales through the end of August, said Kevin Daymude, general manager of Blockbuster Alaska.

[ConservativeStatement]

The final store will bend but not break.

[Huskrrrr]

I remember the sounds of laughter from Blockbuster employees after Netflix opened.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

I actually miss video stores.

[tennmountainman]

Redbox has had an effect too.

[2ndDivisionVet]

And you’ll probably hear the laughter of Netflix employees about the company that ultimately smothers them. Remember: Ford no longer builds cars.

[Dilbert San Diego]

I lost track of the video rental business. Why did video stores go.out of business?

[ConservativeStatement]

I preferred music to movies but I guess it had the same application. Going into independent stores was fun but the Peaches to Tower Records was something awesome for the young music fan.

[Gay State Conservative]

There are a few films made over the last 70+ years (Grapes of Wrath and Wizard of Oz being the oldest) that have been important enough to me to cause me to buy it...either in DVD format or Bluray format.Now,on the very,very rare occasion that I want to watch a film I borrow it from my local library network.

Blockbuster hasn't been a factor in my life since the early 90s...and even then it wasn't a big factor.

[21twelve]

Me too - we had one a couple miles away. Browse through them with my wife and/or kids. Of course I always hated it when they wouldn’t get returned in time!

[ConservativeStatement]

Here is a timeline:

https://www.fastcompany.com/1690654/blockbuster-bankruptcy-decade-decline

[Huskrrrr]

Very true. Always be looking back over your shoulder.

[HamiltonJay]

Exactly Redbox had more to do with killing blockbuster than anything..

Still a market for physical DVD rentals, but it doesn’t support the overhead of full time staff and brick and mortar stores.

Yes Netflix heavily cut into the business model, but blockbusters move far to late to Redbox ensures their demise.

[yarddog]

I remember when a video rental store, not sure if it was blockbuster, opened in Garden City, KS. Just about everyone was renting there.

I tried it a couple of times too.

[KC_Lion]

Alaska Ping.

[max americana]

“I actually miss video stores.”

me too dude. Even the small video stores during the late 90’s when i was a kid, and all these “people” would go to the back of the video store and I had to ask my uncle what they were doing there, he kept telling me to shut up..while he goes in afterwards lol

[CraigEsq]

They’re still around! I rented a DVD just last week.

https://www.familyvideo.com

[morphing libertarian]

Opops i forgot to return Plan 9 From Outer Space and I spit On Your Grave.

[BipolarBob]

Remember: Ford no longer builds cars.

The mustang isn't a car?

[max americana]

Awesome. Is there a umm, back room at the back for ‘special’ videos? haha

[2ndDivisionVet]

That’s the only exception they made.