Blockbuster to close all 300 remaining stores and distribution centers by end of December 2013 or ea

[Hall]

About as many had Dish not stepped in.

Dish actually kept the paychecks flowing longer than if they didn't intervene

Very true - someone posted 2800 jobs. If BB had shut down operations themselves, that number would be substantially higher. According to Wikipedia (add all the comments you want about how it's not an accurate source) said BB had 60,000 employees in 2004.

 

[dare2be]

They had the oppertunity to run the blockbuster stores like an actual service center for Dish where customers could pay bills, swap bad boxes, return equipment or sign up for service.

Aside from signing up for service (which is why we have local retailers), where is the profitability or cost savings in the other functions? It's still cheaper to swap boxes, return equipment by mail and pay bills online or by mail, with less overhead and no inventory management, physical storefront costs or extra employee costs. Your suggestion for service centers makes no fiscal sense whatsoever.

It has been clear for a long time that Dish bought bankrupt BB for the name and marketing opportunity only. As was said by others, the disk-by-mail and physical store presence lasted a lot longer than it would have had it not been bought out.

 

[Hall]

They had the oppertunity to run the blockbuster stores like an actual service center for Dish where customers could pay bills, swap bad boxes, return equipment or sign up for service.

The value of that is grossly overrated ! As a comparison, in the Dayton "metro" area with 850,000 residents, the local cableco, Time Warner, has (3) or maybe (4) locations that you can do similar activities. I can't say for sure, but around 2000 or so, BB probably had 10x that number of locations (I suspect it was MORE actually -- I had (10) locations within a 10-minute drive of my house).

 

[Time_Shift]

"Grossly mismanage" a business that was on the verge of bankruptcy when it was bought? How many Blockbuster locations would you have to provide the service you describe. What type of need is there for that type of service? How would that be better than what they do now? Does DirectTV do this? If they don't are they grossly mismanaged?

It's called business and failures do happen. There was limited downside to all this. I guess I look at this differently in that 300 stores stayed open longer than they would have otherwise.....

I always know that any post you make on this forum will consist of a Dish slam.....

Not to mention, I do not know what need there is for those services? Paying bills is increasing going online, there's still physical main-in option, and for everyone else, there's already plenty of walk-in options in the marketplace.

As for returning/swapping boxes/equipment, there's already package delivery, and local/independent contractors.

Plus, Dish already has partners in the retailer business.

Otherwise, main/only reason Dish purchased BB in the first place was for the building spaces. They were not interested in getting into the rental business. They were interested in getting into the wireless business. Once that fell through, there was no real reason to keep the locations opened.

 

[satjay]

From the first press conference it was not going to be a netflix kind of set up I think that's what had people disappointed. For me it was still a nice perk as I have a BB open

I think since it was not a netflix type service, that disappointed people. A while ago I you tubed the press conference when they acquired BB, interesting to look back Sent from my iPhone using SatelliteGuys

 

[satjay]

I read that about 50 stores will stay open under franchise agreements, for those out there with the business background what does that mean exactly? are they still associated with Dish?

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[Time_Shift]

I read that about 50 stores will stay open under franchise agreements, for those out there with the business background what does that mean exactly? are they still associated with Dish?

Sent from my iPhone using SatelliteGuys

From what I understand, it just means they are just using the Blockbuster brand. They are licensing it.

Now, why the hell they would still want to use that brand, I have no idea.

 

[comfortably_numb]

The value of that is grossly overrated ! As a comparison, in the Dayton "metro" area with 850,000 residents, the local cableco, Time Warner, has (3) or maybe (4) locations that you can do similar activities. I can't say for sure, but around 2000 or so, BB probably had 10x that number of locations (I suspect it was MORE actually -- I had (10) locations within a 10-minute drive of my house).

Hey, man- I went to Wright State in Dayton and lived in Fairborn in 1999/2000 and you are right- there were Blockbusters EVERYWHERE. It was crazy how many there were.

Not much else to do in West-Central Ohio for 5 months out of the year when it's 5 degrees below zero with a foot of snow on the ground other than getting movies from BB and ordering Cassano's Pizza.

 

[riffjim4069]

Bummer, but these things happen. That's why we no longer shop at Montgomery Ward, WoolWooth, Ben Franklin Five & Dime or look for the latest typewriter or turn the hand-crank to start-up old Bessie in the mornings. While some people dwell on the failure (and it is to some extent) others look at this as an opportunity. There are now hundreds of additional offices spaces, thousands of more available employees, and an infinite number or new ideas to create successful business ventures.

 

[jbrelish]

Yes its sad the business is finally ending. Its sad that the remaining employee's will lose their jobs. Is it Dish's fault...no. Compare Blockbuster pricing against online streaming, Redbox and other entertainment avenues and you will see BB was too expensive to exist in the current market.

As for the lost jobs, wander over to dailyjobcuts.com and its amazing who is closing,laying off,and filing for bankruptcy. Its the current world economic climate. Not a Dish only circumstance by any means.

 

[Hall]

From what I understand, it just means they are just using the Blockbuster brand. They are licensing it.

Yes, that's all it is.

Now, why the hell they would still want to use that brand, I have no idea.

Name recognition. And remember, their customers, or residents of the places they are in may not know or care about what's going on with other BB locations elsewhere.

 

[. Raine]

Surprising that they kept it going as long as they did, really.

 

[Blackloz]

Sigh. I don't think my son owns or rents any DVDs or BDs. It's all on his Apple laptop or it doesn't get watched.

I think that's one thing I will never do. I never have and never will be into any kind of streaming. I always want the physical disc as I haven't rented in years I simply buy the BD's I want and the movies/shows that aren't worth a buy I just DVR watch & erase. I think when I tried Netflix I cancelled it after 10 days. I just found it terrible.

 

[satjay]

Just stopped in the BB by my home, not that I was expected a change or signs as it was announced today, but it was business as usually thus far

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[acostapimps]

I can see it now, "Thousands of jobs loss because Dish decided to close" even though it was dead a long time ago, Probably see uninformed soon to be former employees with picket signs against corporate decisions from Charlie.

 

[rapidturtle]

It's pretty sad. I miss the good old days of going to the video store.

 

[foghorn2]

I miss going to tower records too, such is life, real sad.

Downloading killed the music and video store.

 

[mike123abc]

It's pretty sad. I miss the good old days of going to the video store.

I remember going to the video store a couple times a week and renting VHS tapes...

I think it has been 10-15 years since I last rented a video at a video store...

 

[navychop]

Yeah, I used to rent VHS tapes, too! :dev



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[KAB]

I think that's one thing I will never do. I never have and never will be into any kind of streaming. I always want the physical disc as I haven't rented in years I simply buy the BD's I want and the movies/shows that aren't worth a buy I just DVR watch & erase. I think when I tried Netflix I cancelled it after 10 days. I just found it terrible.

I used to think the same as you, maybe even more so. But the immediate, convenience factor proved too true to be denied. (The streaming side).