There is Only One Blockbuster Store Left in the US
The Anchorage Daily News reported that two remaining Blockbuster locations are closing for good next week, which means just one store remains in the whole United States.
And that store is in Bend, Oregon.
The stores in Alaska reportedly thrived after the company went into bankruptcy 2011 and was purchased by Dish Corporation in 2013, mainly because of expensive high-speed internet service across the state. And probably also because Alaskans like to do things a little differently.
In 1993, the chain was the king of video rentals, with nearly 3,000 stores operating worldwide.
Quartz reports that Reed Hastings founded Netflix in 1997, partly out of frustration for being fined $40 by Blockbuster for a late return of the videocassette “Apollo 13.”
The managers of the Alaska stores said an emotional goodbye to customers this week on Facebook:
To all of our valued customers,We regret to inform our customers that Blockbuster Video will be closing both the…
Posted by Blockbuster Alaska on Thursday, July 12, 2018
Reports have speculated that nostalgia is one of the main reasons the Oregon store has stayed open and thrived, though the store’s manager, Sandi Harding, told CNN that, “I go out at 6-7 o’clock in the morning buying the new movies, getting what people want, trying to stay relevant and keep our customers happy.”
If you decide to make the pilgrimage to Bend to visit the last Blockbuster, can you pick us up some Twizzlers, Sour Patch Kids, and a copy of “I Know What You Did Last Summer?” Thanks.
