"Why are you still here?": Inside the last Blockbuster in America

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Business

‘Why are you still here?’: Inside the last Blockbuster in America

By Alex Horton July 16 at 8:26 AM [link:[e-mail]|Email the author]

A man parked his motorcycle on the sidewalk Saturday morning, ruining the aesthetic of the last remaining Blockbuster in the contiguous United States. ... “You can’t park there,” general manager Sandi Harding told the man as he walked into the store in Bend, Ore. “People are trying to take pictures.” ... The man paused for a beat. There was confusion in his response. ... “Trying to take pictures?”

Somehow he had missed the past decade, when Blockbuster the video rental behemoth became Blockbuster the fallen victim of modernity. ... In 2004, at the company’s peak, 9,000 Blockbuster outlets studded city blocks and suburban strip malls nationwide, a onetime indelible fixture of the family movie night. But soon after, Netflix, Redbox and the cold march of digital progress eroded the customer base at each store.

{snip link to something else}

Thousands of Blockbuster stores were shuttered through the beginning of July, leaving only three: two in Alaska, and one in Bend. ... Those Alaska locations closed Sunday, leaving Harding’s store on NE Revere Avenue as the last surviving Blockbuster outpost fighting to keep its doors open.

“Every day, even before this, people would drive by and see the ‘Open’ sign and say, ‘Oh my gosh. How are you still here? Why are you still here?’ ” Harding told The Washington Post in a Saturday phone interview as her store buzzed with activity, including the arrival of the oblivious motorcyclist in the central Oregon city.
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Inside the Blockbuster store in Bend, Ore. (Sandi Harding)
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Alex Horton is a general assignment reporter for The Washington Post. He previously covered the military and national security for Stars and Stripes, and served in Iraq as an Army infantryman. Follow https://twitter.com/AlexHortonTX

[underpants]

1. I think there's one in Alaska too

Jon Oliver did a bit about it.


And then, there's this. Quite funny


https://mobile.twitter.com/loneblockbuster?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

[rownesheck]

2. makes me sad.

best job i ever had.

I miss it mightily.

[Farmer-Rick]

3. Our Blockbuster here died many years ago ...but a local video rental business is doing just fine

They give out little treats with every movie you rent. They willingly waive overdue charges if you ask. The people are the friendliest. They have speciels 5 for $5 for 5 days. They hire theater majors and you can get a mini personal review on every movie...they just try harder.