The Blockbuster video store at 9503 W. Broad St. (Photo by Brandy Brubaker)
The credits have rolled on the last local relic of a once mighty video rental chain.
The Blockbuster video store at 9503 W. Broad St., the lone remaining Richmond outpost of the formerly massive movie rental chain, closed for good Jan. 12.
The shop stopped renting videos in November and had been holding a liquidation sale, store manager Mickey Webb said last week.
“Pretty much everything physically in the store” was for sale, said manager Mickey Webb.
Webb, who helped open the store 13 years ago, said he wasn’t surprised when he learned of the closing.
“Video stores themselves are done,” Webb said. “Physical media is not long for this world.”
The Henrico location was among about 300 brick-and-mortar Blockbusters that are being shuttered by the brand’s new owner, Dish Network.
Made obsolete by online video services and rental kiosks such as Redbox, Blockbuster began closing swaths of stores across the country, including several in Richmond, beginning in 2010. It went bankrupt the same year before being acquired by Dish in 2011.
The Broad Street store’s inventory included about 4,000 movies, video games, snacks, fixtures and electronics. Even the “next register please” signs were up for grabs.
“Pretty much everything physically in the store is for sale,” Webb said.
Webb used Craigslist to advertise the liquidation sale. Businesses and small companies bought fixtures, and Webb sold shelving to individuals for home usage. What didn’t sell is headed to a warehouse in Denver.
Webb said he and his eight employees have either lined up other jobs or are on the hunt.
The Blockbuster video store at 9503 W. Broad St. (Photo by Brandy Brubaker)
The credits have rolled on the last local relic of a once mighty video rental chain.
The Blockbuster video store at 9503 W. Broad St., the lone remaining Richmond outpost of the formerly massive movie rental chain, closed for good Jan. 12.
The shop stopped renting videos in November and had been holding a liquidation sale, store manager Mickey Webb said last week.
“Pretty much everything physically in the store” was for sale, said manager Mickey Webb.
Webb, who helped open the store 13 years ago, said he wasn’t surprised when he learned of the closing.
“Video stores themselves are done,” Webb said. “Physical media is not long for this world.”
The Henrico location was among about 300 brick-and-mortar Blockbusters that are being shuttered by the brand’s new owner, Dish Network.
Made obsolete by online video services and rental kiosks such as Redbox, Blockbuster began closing swaths of stores across the country, including several in Richmond, beginning in 2010. It went bankrupt the same year before being acquired by Dish in 2011.
The Broad Street store’s inventory included about 4,000 movies, video games, snacks, fixtures and electronics. Even the “next register please” signs were up for grabs.
“Pretty much everything physically in the store is for sale,” Webb said.
Webb used Craigslist to advertise the liquidation sale. Businesses and small companies bought fixtures, and Webb sold shelving to individuals for home usage. What didn’t sell is headed to a warehouse in Denver.
Webb said he and his eight employees have either lined up other jobs or are on the hunt.
Maybe they can convert the space into something like this:
http://www.theonion.com/video/historic-blockbuster-store-offers-glimpse-of-how-m,14233/
1985 it all began. Blockbuster filed with the SEC May 6, 1999 to sell shares to the public. At that time it owned 6,500 stores and was in several countries. The first major investor was VIACOM. I believe that Blockbuster was the first to devise the Revenue Sharing concept with the movie makers. That has lead to the current success of Apple iTunes, NetFlix, Hulu, etc. For those of us that paid a few rental late charges, the loss of such a profound brand is another remaindered that few small businesses last forever. Lots of independent owner/operators made a lot… Read more »