Blockbuster goes into administration
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Sad news
What do you think about Blockbuster going into administration?
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/movies/news/a451472/blockbuster-enters-administration-what-do-you-think-poll.html
What do you think about Blockbuster going into administration?
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/movies/news/a451472/blockbuster-enters-administration-what-do-you-think-poll.html
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Comments
That said, my quite large local Blockbuster shut down about 6 months ago. There was never anyone in there. It was always boiling hot and stank of BO. Blu-ray prices were a joke.
First HMV and now this, I didnt see this one coming.
Bit harsh. Isn't "good riddance" used when you're happy to see the back of something?
Had Blockbuster hurt or harmed you in any way?
What a stupid thing to say. So in your opinion Past Times should go bust then?
Though, I seem to recall talk of them being in trouble a while ago? Or was that in the USA?
Blockbuster Canada went about a year ago,but not the USA
PJ
So I and close to 4000 other workers may be out of a job...yeah its really good riddance.......
I am surprised they lasted this long though as their fate was pretty much doomed as soon as the gap between rental and buying became nonexistent.
I heard today they don't use "credit" so they don't actually owe much in terms of stock, etc.
It's just a losing game, though...
As myself and the guy I was replying to (*) commented in response to this story, Blockbuster UK was part of a large American corporation that started in the late 80s.
I don't know if you're old enough to remember, but during the 1980s and early-1990s, the video rental market was made up of numerous independent stores and small chains. When Blockbuster came along (see (*) again), it ruthlessly exploited its parent's size and connections in a very predatory manner and killed off those stores almost completely, replacing it with a monoculture.
Then they sat on their fat, profit-bloated corporate arses, not responding to coming threats until they started damaging the bottom line (by which time the competition were established and it was too late for them). Even the order-by-Internet-ship-by-mail rental services that cut into them are being rendered obsolete by downloads, and going to a shop to rent a VHS, er... DVD seems hopelessly old-fashioned at this point. (There's also the fact that DVDs are much cheaper to buy than VHS was in its heyday, and often not worth renting).
I'm genuinely sorry for the people losing their jobs, but I just couldn't give a monkeys about the loss of the chain itself.
(*) I can't link directly to madiain28's comment there, so here it is again:-
"With the launch of Netflix and Lovefilm it was inevitable. As the market leader in the rental market they did not invest in online streaming or offer comparable deals in store as even their own online packages for post rental were far cheaper. Although I sympathise with all the staff as a company they deserve to go. This was a company owned by Viacom that is also parent company of most of the big distribution rental market. They showed no mercy in the late eighties and nineties closing thousands of independent rental shops by opening next door to them. Whilst independent shops had to pay between £30-60 per copy of film blockbuster could bulk receive from distributors virtually costing nothing just rejigging figures. They would strike a deal taking thousands of copies at a cost of about £5 then mass rent for a few weeks and sell off for more than the initial cost. Whilst the small independents struggled to buy a few copies and make any profit. I worked part time for them when I was at college in the early nineties and there underlying ethos was to ensure they shut down any competition in the area by undercutting then as soon as they got rid of the competitor they whacked the prices up. 20 years ago they were charging £3.50 to £4 per night rental in Aberdeen once they closed Global video down."