Blockbuster went back to charging for late movies?

[TVTom51]

Went to Blockbuster this evening to rent a couple of Blu-ray movies and low and behold the clerk told me that they're charging again for late returns. $.50 a day.

 

[Orrymain]

I don't rent movies, so it doesn't affect me, but I'm surprised they've backtracked. I guess they didn't get much more business from the promotion.

 

[EscapeVelocity]

I thought that was built into the exorbinant $5 price.

This isnt a good move for BlockBuster.

Personally, I only use them in emergency situations.

The best way to BlockBuster is via their online rental agreement, which is similar to Netflix, however you can return a movie to a local BlockBuster Brick & Mortar store and pick up another right there on the spot. However they dont encourage that at the individual stores, when I mentioned it, while they were trying to sell me on their membership dealio. Obviously teh way to go.

I have a feeling that BlockBuster is on the way out. NetFlix is streaming movies now and are being integrated into TVs with Netflix streaming enabled internet wifi.

It was a good run while it lasted.

 

[bicker]

BlockBuster may be on the way out, but this isn't really about that... this is about brick and mortar being on the way out. Both of our local BlockBuster stores have shut down in the last year, and several independents as well. Even at $5 per rental, there just isn't enough money to be made in having a large selection of movies available for rental. You can make a lot more money by putting kiosks in grocery stores and pharmacies, holding several dozen titles, total. Moreover, the profitability of the kiosk approach undercuts any ability that a more substantial brick and mortar presence may have to be profitable. Effectively, together, online video rental (including BlockBuster Online) and Redbox have killed the idea of rows and rows of old titles to choose from.

 

[No Static At All]

BlockBuster doesn't charge late fees to customers that have online agreements. This even applies to in-store movie exchanges.

I have yet to see a movie streamed over the internet on a large TV, but I can't imagine the quality coming anywhere close to Blu-Ray.

 

[bicker]

I have done Internet streaming twice and yeah, it's not really HD, and surely not Blu-ray quality.

 

[O-O]

There are a ton of Blockbuster's going out of business in my area.

Talk about a business not adapting to the market or their customer base, they really dropped the ball. I really like how Netflix is aiming for the streaming vid biz.

 

[Fringe Reception]

One of two local Blockbuster Stores near me closed this past summer. Naturally, it had to be the one that had plenty of parking, was a block away from Safeway and across the street from my local 'quickie-mart'. :angry:
Jim

 

[bicker]

Talk about a business not adapting to the market or their customer base, they really dropped the ball.

I don't get what you're implying. What did you want them to do? Install a stripper pole and start serving drinks?

BlockBuster, itself, has adapted to the market, introducing BlockBuster Online. Is it as good as Netflix? I don't think so, but that's like saying that Pepsi isn't as good as Coke -- that doesn't mean that Pepsi didn't adapt to the market or their customer base. BlockBuster is best characterized as the second most successful online DVD rental service, not the least successful.

And with regard to the brick and mortar, my position is that the best way to adapt to the market is to close the stores down -- that's exactly what BlockBuster is doing. Seems to me that they're handling that correctly. There is nothing that they can do to control the fact that landlords want rent, and municipalities want taxes, and that'll amount to more than any form of DVD rental service provided in storefronts is really worth, these days.

 

[EscapeVelocity]

Indeed. Dont forget RedBox.

BlockBusters big plus with their online rental business is that they had the B&M stores where you could turn one in and pick up another. When they lose that....Netflix has them beat in selection online....and now with their streaming service and integration and brand awareness with television sets. However it should be easy to integrate other providers in that arena.

They are the 2nd best.

What happened to Hollywood Home Video?

 

[O-O]

I don't get what you're implying. What did you want them to do? Install a stripper pole and start serving drinks?

BlockBuster, itself, has adapted to the market, introducing BlockBuster Online. Is it as good as Netflix? I don't think so, but that's like saying that Pepsi isn't as good as Coke -- that doesn't mean that Pepsi didn't adapt to the market or their customer base. BlockBuster is best characterized as the second most successful online DVD rental service, not the least successful.

And with regard to the brick and mortar, my position is that the best way to adapt to the market is to close the stores down -- that's exactly what BlockBuster is doing. Seems to me that they're handling that correctly. There is nothing that they can do to control the fact that landlords want rent, and municipalities want taxes, and that'll amount to more than any form of DVD rental service provided in storefronts is really worth, these days.

A stripper would have been nice, but no, that's not what I was implying.

I'm talking about how long it took Blockbuster to get it's online rental business going after Netflix began dominating the market.

That and an insatiable need for opening up more and more brick and mortar stores has all but sacked Blockbuster.

Let's be honest, if they were handling everything so well, why do they continue to close more stores?

 

[bicker]

Let's be honest, if they were handling everything so well, why do they continue to close more stores?

Because there isn't a profitable business model for such widespread brick and mortar presence, with such a vast selection in each store. Let's be honest, the best way to adapt to the market is to close the stores down.

 

[Orrymain]

It's just another sign of the world moving towards an online world that is becoming the mainstay of the buying economy. Brick and mortar stores are continuing to decline. Even a store like Penneys is moving big time to the internet.