Since then, a small number of franchisees have attempted to valiantly hang on, but according to Anchorage Daily News, two Blockbusters are about to close in Alaska, leaving only one store left in the U.S., located in Bend, Oregon. All remaining corporately-owned stores were closed, and the by mail service was shut down. They did their best to operate a competing online rental service, and also somehow keep their brick and mortar stores afloat.
When Netflix arrived near the tail end of the 90s and introduced the then-revolutionary concept of a DVD rental subscription service by mail that customers would use via the internet, Blockbuster didn't just give up and go away either. Related: Alamo Drafthouse Opening Free Video Rental Store Things like lacking supplies of new releases, annoying late fees, and Blockbuster's tendency to put surrounding independent video stores out of business by undercutting their prices, all became infamously associated with the brand. Of course, it wasn't always widely known for good reasons. The company dominated the 80s and 90s, and became culturally ubiquitous. at the company's peak in 2004.īlockbuster Video was founded in 1985, naturally right around the beginning of movie rentals as a whole. The biggest player in that industry up until its final gasps as a major force was Blockbuster Video, which employed over 58,000 people and operated over 4500 stores in the U.S. It might seem like a lifetime ago to many, but before subscription streaming services like Netflix and Amazon dominated the home video rental market, the good old-fashioned video store was king.
The true end of an American institution draws closer, as after two closings in Alaska, only one Blockbuster Video remains in business in the U.S.
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